IIT Kanpur: Akshar 2023 Literature Festival kicks off

The book fair is hosting some of the major book publishers of the country who have brought books in many different languages. The book fair also hosts a special section on children’ Books wherein Amar Chithra Katha & Rajkamal Prakashan etc. have brought a sizeable contingent on children’ Books.

"Akshar – An IIT Kanpur Literature Festival" jointly organised by Shivani Centre for the Nurture and Re-Integration of Hindi and Other Indian Languages, Rajbhasha Prakoshth, Appreciation and Promotion of Art, Culture and Heritage (APPROACH) Cell, Hindi Sahitya Sabha, and Gaatha - a SIIC IIT Kanpur incubated company, was inaugurated by Prof. Kantesh Balani, Prof. S Ganesh, Prof. Brij Bhushan, and Prof. Sameer Khandekar in the Outreach auditorium at IIT Kanpur.

After the opening ceremony, “Introduction to Shivani” was addressed by Mr. Govind Sharma from Shivani Centre. Mr. Sharma introduced the audience to the life & works of Shivani ji, including her famous stories like KrishnaKali, Chaudah Fere, Aparajit etc. Mr. Sharma informed that Shivani ji was one of the foremost writers in Hindi literature, whose writings presented a distinct voice of strong women characters who fight for their own emancipation and that of their loved ones, and at the same time are deeply sensitive and compassionate to those around them.

There was a story recital of Shivani ji’s most famous stories in “Shivani ki Kahaniyan -Ek Recital” by artists such as Ms. Nutan Vashishtha and Ms. Anupama, known as Katharang: A Storytelling Group. The group completely enthralled the audience with their lively recital and brought to life some of the lovely stories of Shivani ji.

Later, a panel discussion on “Shivani ke Sahitya mein Stree Vimarsh” was organised, in which several literary figures such as Prof. Chandrakala Tripathi from BHU, Prof. Shashikala Rai from Pune University, and Ms. Anushakti Singh participated. The panelists discussed in detail the depiction of strong, & independent women characters in Shivani ji’s writings.

An open mic event, "Aaj ke Ubharte Kalakaar," was held in which the Kavi Sammelan was organised for the IIT campus residents and students. The event featured several students, employees, and faculty members of IIT Kanpur and even outside and offered a platform for all the aspiring artists among the campus residents to showcase their talents.

Later, the open mic session “Bachchon ka kona” was organised for talented kids on campus. Several children of varying ages participated in the event. The occasion provided an opportunity for children to showcase their talents publicly, which will encourage and motivate them to continue developing their skills. The show was greatly appreciated by the audience.

“Nritya Sandhya-A Bharatnatyam Performance” was then showcased by Kumari Sharvari G. Rao and Smt. Nagarekha G. Rao. The performance given by the artists was greatly appreciated by the audience.

The final program of the evening was ‘Sur Sarita – An Evening of Classical Vocal Music’ by Bhagyashree Deshpande and her Suranjali Group. Ms. Deshpande and the accompanying artists mesmerized the audience with her soulful voice and renditions of Hindustani Ragas and Ghazals.

Notably, the Akshar 2023 is also hosting a Mega Book - Fair was also organized coordinated by leading publishers of the country, at the Outreach Auditorium Lawns of IIT Kanpur.

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