The Delphic Games of the Modern Era globally links art, culture, and education, creating a great stage for the arts and cultures. The International Delphic Council (IDC), founded in 1994 by J. Hirsch, is a non-governmental public benefit organization registered in Berlin, Germany. It organizes the Delphic Games across the globe, with partners from the host country. The aim of the Delphic Movement
is to support contemporary arts, to preserve cultural heritage, as well as to strengthen the intercultural dialogue and friendship among people. The 6 Delphic Art Categories - musical arts, performing arts, language arts, visual arts, social arts, and architecture and ecological arts, with their various disciplines, creates the frame for competition, presentation and the intercultural exchange of ideas. In ancient times, the Greek city of Delphi, home of the Oracle and the Temple of Apollo, was the spiritual centre of the world as it was then. People consulted the Oracle to obtain advice from the Gods to help them make crucial decisions. According to the saga, the God Apollo claimed the oracle for himself by killing its keeper, the dragon Python. After defeating Python, Apollo left Olympia, the seat of the gods, for eight years in voluntary exile to atone for his crime. The Delphic Games (also known as Pythian Games) were held in remembrance of Apollo's victory over Python and his self-inflicted penance. Over the years many holy wars took place to decide upon ownership of the Oracle, until at last, the twelve clans of Greece united and from then on held the games together. on, the Delphic Games took place every four years, always one year prior to the Olympic Games. They were organised by the Amphictyony, an executive council made up of representatives of the twelve Greek clans. Thus, the Delphic Games also stand for reconciliation and understanding amongst people as the various Greek clans gathered in peaceful competition. The symbol of the Delphic Games of the Modern Era is an infinite ribbon of six colored semicircles, which are designed within a circle. The semicircles symbolize the unity between the Delphic Art Categories. The Element of the Delphic Games, water, is of equal importance as fire is for the Olympic Games. With a ceremony for the water fetching at the holy Castalian Spring, the festivities of the Delphic Games are initiated weeks prior to the commencement of the Games, and their opening ceremonies. Nelson Mandela, Irmgard Von Kienlin-Moy, Eduard Graf Von Westphalen, and Georgi Gunia are some notable personalities associated with the Delphic Games of the Modern Era.
