The bustling Monday of the Pune Book Festival’s third day witnessed a remarkable convergence of literary enthusiasts, graced by esteemed personalities like Kumar Vishwas, Saurabh Dwivedi, and Vikram Sampath.
The morning unfurled with captivating storytelling sessions and mesmerizing mandala arts, leaving young attendees from diverse schools entranced. The adept storyteller underscored the significance of embracing the present moment, considering the diminishing attention spans of today’s children. Parents, teachers, and accompanying adults actively participated, applauding National Book Trust India’s efforts for curating such captivating sessions. A standout feature of the day was the attention-grabbing replica of the Constitution, attracting crowds eager to capture moments amid the vibrant book stalls pulsating with collegiate energy.
The captivating session of Kumar Vishwas elicited a positive response, with the audience enduring the heat, glued to their seats. Vishwas’s words and poems acted as a soothing balm, fostering an energetic engagement. Expressing joy at the young crowd, he encouraged them to cultivate a habit of reading. He commended NBT-India’s contributions, stressing the significance of literary festivals in fostering public interaction. Reciting Sahir Ludhianvi, he left the audience with a resonant thought, “कल और आएंगे, मुझ से बेहतर कहने वाले तुम से बेहतर सुनने वाले,” urging the youth to immerse themselves in extensive reading.
Saurabh Dwivedi directed the evening towards contemplation of the media’s role and significance in today’s context. He advocated a work ethic focused on ‘spashat, saral, and saras’ for the enhancement of journalism. Vikram Sampath illuminated Savarkar’s life, often overlooked in the past.”
The day concluded with a mesmerizing performance of ‘Pashmina Ke Dhagon Se’ by the Space Folk Ensemble from Jammu and Kashmir, introducing a new cultural dimension to Pune. The programme was thoroughly enjoyed by the captivated audience.
Tomorrow the day will bring some fun activities for children, where they will learn how to make their own superhero, followed by a storytelling session and an interesting session on anger management. The literary scene will have an interesting interaction with Nidhi Chaphekar, Brussels Terror survivor, Discussion on Partition Literature with Sunil ji Ambekar, and a panel discussion on Marathi translations of children’s books. The evening will come alive with another set of Kashmiri performances.
