Kumar Bahukhandi
Raipur: A three-day Raipur Literature Festival is being organised at the Purkhauti Muktangan complex in Nava Raipur from January 23rd, coinciding with Basant Panchami. More than 100 renowned literary figures from across the country are expected to participate.
This three-day festival will give Chhattisgarh a new identity. Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai said that as Chhattisgarh celebrates its silver jubilee, marking 25 years since the state’s formation, the Raipur Literature Festival is an important chapter in this celebration.
This festival will provide a common platform not only for Chhattisgarh but also for renowned literary figures from across the country. The Chief Minister expressed confidence that this event will give Chhattisgarh a new identity in the literary world and inspire the public towards literature, writing, and reading.
During the literature festival, there will be literary discussions, open dialogues, and deliberations on contemporary issues. Considerable enthusiasm is being observed among the general public regarding the literature festival.
Today, when the stream of knowledge is often drowned out by the noise of information in the cacophony of social media, a literature festival provides a crucial opportunity where the culture of dialogue thrives amidst discussions. Creativity is born where the mind is open, and stories take shape where people have the courage to converse with their truth.
The phrase “From the Beginning to Eternity” inscribed in the logo (design) of the literature festival reflects the unbroken journey of literature, encompassing all forms from ancient works to continuously evolving modern literature. Literature is timeless; it is a continuous stream that connects time, society, language, and generations.
For three days, Purkhauti Muktangan will become a vibrant center for literary dialogues, book launches, brainstorming sessions, cultural performances, and art exhibitions. This event is considered a significant step towards establishing a strong presence for Chhattisgarh on the national literary map.
The Raipur Literature Festival is a source of cultural pride for the entire state of Chhattisgarh, as it beautifully and meaningfully showcases the state’s millennia-old literary roots, tribal traditions, social harmony, and modern creative vision. Chhattisgarh’s literary journey has been unwavering, vibrant, and rich from its origins to the present day, and will continue to write new stories of continuous development in this same vein.
The literature festival will include a total of 11 sessions, comprising 5 parallel sessions, 4 group sessions, and 3 dialogue sessions, which will facilitate direct interaction and discussion between writers and participants.
The Raipur Literature Festival is a celebration of the confluence of literature, ideas, and culture, and will see the participation of youth, teachers, writers, and general readers. Connecting the new generation with literature, ideas, and culture is the main objective of this festival.
A book fair is also being organised during the festival, with approximately 40 stalls displaying and selling books from renowned publishers across the country. The Raipur Literature Festival will feature a special performance of the play “Chanakya,” which will be an impressive example of Indian intellectual tradition and dramatic art. Along with this, folk dances, folk songs, and Chhattisgarhi cultural performances will introduce the audience to the state’s vibrant folk culture.
A poets’ gathering will be held in the presence of renowned poets, where their powerful compositions will provide literary enjoyment to the audience. Open dialogue sessions will also be held with journalists, thinkers, and social activists, where meaningful discussions will take place on contemporary socio-cultural issues.
This event is emerging as a powerful initiative to connect Chhattisgarh’s literary consciousness, intellectual tradition, and cultural soul with the national discourse.
The Raipur Literature Festival 2026 will not only build a bridge between writers and readers but will also serve as a means to sensitise the new generation towards literature, culture, and ideas.
This three-day festival, rich in literary discourse, creative expression, and cultural diversity, will prove to be a significant and memorable chapter in establishing Nava Raipur among the country’s leading literary centers.
A work by the late Vinod Kumar Shukla, recipient of the Jnanpith Award, whose literary spirit and memory are deeply ingrained in Chhattisgarh:
A man had sat down in despair,
I knew not the man,
But the despair,
We walked together,
We knew how to walk together.
This is the kind of literature that gives man patience and teaches him the civility of walking together.
The Writer is Deputy Director Chhattisgarh Public Relations Department
