Kumar Bahukhandi
Deputy Chairman (Speaker) of the Rajya Sabha Harivansh Narayan Singh and Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai-File Photo
In Short
*Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh Narayan Singh to be the Chief Guest, Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai to Preside over the Program
*Literary discussions and seminars to be held for 3 days at Purkhauti Muktangan complex
*Book fair, open talent stage, and painting workshop will also be organised
Raipur: The grand inauguration of the Raipur Literature Festival will be held on January 23, 2025 at the Purkhauti Muktangan complex in Raipur, the capital city, by the Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, Harivansh. Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai will preside over the program.
The inauguration ceremony will be held at the Vinod Kumar Shukla Pavilion from 10:30 AM onwards. Chhattisgarh Assembly Speaker Dr. Raman Singh will be the special guest of honor. Deputy Chief Ministers Arun Sao and Vijay Sharma, along with the Vice-Chancellor of Mahatma Gandhi International Hindi University, Wardha, Dr. Kumud Sharma, and theater artist and actor Manoj Joshi will also be present as special guests.
Renowned writers, journalists, and poets from Chhattisgarh and across the country will participate in the Raipur Literature Festival.
During the festival, a national book fair, engagement zone, open talent stage, painting workshop, and cultural performances will be organised.
A food zone has also been set up for the convenience of the visitors. The main pavilion has been prepared in memory of Vinod Kumar Shukla, where important stage programs will be held. In addition, the Lala Jagdalpuri Pavilion, Shyam Lal Chaturvedi Pavilion, and Anirudh Nirav Pavilion have been prepared for literary discussions and seminars.
The literature festival will have four sessions daily. The first session will be from 12:30 PM, the second session from 2:15 PM, the third session from 3:45 PM, and the fourth session from 5:15 PM to 6:30 PM.
Cultural programs will also be organised on January 23 and 24.
On January 23, the first session will feature discussions on contemporary women’s writing in the Lala Jagdalpuri Pavilion, the flow of India’s self-awakening under the theme of “Vande Mataram” in the Shyamlal Chaturvedi Pavilion, and a discussion on the challenges for publishers in the context of digital literature in the Anirudh Nirav Pavilion.
The second session will include discussions on literature in oral tradition in the Lala Jagdalpuri Pavilion, a discussion on new trends in poetry in the Shyamlal Chaturvedi Pavilion, and a dialogue in the Anirudh Nirav Pavilion.
The Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, Harivansh Narayan Singh will participate in this session.
The third session will feature discussions on tribal discourse in Kala Padri in the Lala Jagdalpuri Pavilion and the literary contribution of Chhattisgarh in the Shyamlal Chaturvedi Pavilion. A discussion on the literary legacy of the late Vinod Kumar Shukla will be held in the Anirudh Nirav Pavilion.
The fourth session will include a discussion on archaeology: silent literature in the Lala Jagdalpuri Pavilion and a dialogue on the problem of time: secularism in the Shyamlal Chaturvedi Pavilion.
A poetry recitation by the National Poets’ Forum will be held in the Anirudh Nirav Pavilion. As part of the cultural evening, Manoj Joshi’s play “Chanakya” will be staged at 7 PM in the Vinod Kumar Shukla Pavilion.
On January 24, the first session will feature a dialogue on a hundred years of national service in the Vinod Kumar Shukla Pavilion and a discussion on the folk songs of Chhattisgarh in the Lala Jagdalpuri Pavilion.
The second session will include a dialogue on the era of religious films and television serials and a discussion on Shyamlal Chaturvedi’s Integral Humanism as a catalyst for social change.
The third session will feature a dialogue on India’s intellectual discourse in the Vinod Kumar Shukla Pavilion, a discussion on issues debated in the national media in the Lala Jagdalpuri Pavilion, a discussion on the film world of the new generation in the Shyamlal Chaturvedi Pavilion, and a discussion on literature: from Upanishads to AI in the Anirudh Nirav Pavilion. Fourth Session – In the Vinod Kumar Shukla Pavilion, there will be a dialogue on Indian knowledge traditions; in the Lala Jagdalpuri Pavilion, a discussion on ‘Authors and Readers in the Digital Age’; and in the Shyamlal Chaturvedi Pavilion, a discussion on ‘History through the Lens of Literature’.
Fifth Session – In the Vinod Kumar Shukla Pavilion, there will be a discussion on ‘Maoist Terrorism and Democracy’; in the Lala Jagdalpuri Pavilion, ‘Dr. Ambedkar – The Radiance of a Cluster of Ideas’; in the Shyamlal Chaturvedi Pavilion, the level of language and literature in educational institutions; and in the Anirudh Nirav Pavilion, a discussion on disappearing children’s literature.
A cultural program, including a poetry recitation in memory of the late Atal Bihari Vajpayee, will be held in the Vinod Kumar Shukla Pavilion.
January 25, First Session – In the Vinod Kumar Shukla Pavilion, there will be a dialogue on the Constitution and Indian values; in the Lala Jagdalpuri Pavilion, Travel Blogs: Inspirations for Tourism; and in the Shyamlal Chaturvedi Pavilion, a discussion on the understanding of India in the new era.
Second Session – In the Lala Jagdalpuri Pavilion, there will be a discussion on Journalism and Literature; and in the Shyamlal Chaturvedi Pavilion, a dialogue on Dramaturgy and Artistic Traditions.
Third Session – In the Vinod Kumar Shukla Pavilion, a discussion on Cinema and Society; in the Lala Jagdalpuri Pavilion, a discussion on Governance and Literature; and in the Shyamlal Chaturvedi Pavilion, a Chhattisgarhi poetry recitation will be held.
