A confluence of thinkers, readers, literature enthusiasts, and students
Mangaluru: The first day of the 8th edition of the Mangaluru Lit Festival witnessed enthusiastic participation by more than seventy thinkers, literature-loving readers, and young people.
The event was inaugurated symbolically by pulling the Saraswati chariot, laden with books, at the T.M.A. Pai International Convention Centre.
Padma Shri Dr. Meenakshi Jain and Bharat Foundation trustee Brijesh Chowta were present at the programme. Tributes were paid to Dr. S.L. Bhairappa and Dr. Vinay Hegde, who passed away recently.
During the inaugural session on “Exploring Values Through Literature”, Ajakkala Girish Bhat and Shatavadhani R. Ganesh held a conversation. R. Ganesh spoke on the importance of values. Dr. Meenakshi Jain, who received the Mangaluru Lit Fest Award for the 8th edition, later participated in a session titled “Reconnecting with Civilisation”.
Former chief of India’s intelligence agency RAW, Vikram Sood, spoke in the session “Great Power Games” about how several countries, including America, China, and Pakistan, work against India, and how India is progressing towards becoming stronger.
Students’ Enthusiasm
Students from various colleges, along with many literature enthusiasts, actively participated in the Lit Fest. They enriched the sessions by asking questions to the guests in all programmes and enthusiastically visited the selfie stand and book stalls. They delighted in obtaining autographs and selfies with their favourite authors.
Interesting Sessions
On the main stage, the conversation on “Historical Consciousness in Bhairappa’s Literature” by Sandeep Balakrishna and Rohit Chakrathirtha attracted wide attention.
The subsequent session on “Intellectual Movement: The Role of National Literature” by Narendra Kumar S.S. and Pallavi Rao received an excellent response. In the final session, a documentary titled “Bhairappa: Life and Writings”, directed by P. Sheshadri, was screened.
In another auditorium, during the discussion titled “Netravati to Nile”, Dr. Raghu Murtugudde, CA Giridhar Kamath, and CMDE Uday Rao deliberated on rivers. This session was moderated by Prashant Vaidyaraj. In the conversation “Paths Within Words” led by G.B. Harish and Arun Bharadwaj, themes from Ananda Coomaraswamy’s literature were discussed. Later, in a session moderated by Seema Burde on cinema, writing, and acting, Ranjani Raghavan and Poornima Suresh spoke. In the concluding session, “Tulu Language, Folklore, Literature, and Culture: Yesterday–Today–Tomorrow” was conducted by Dr. Ravish Padumale, Yadupati Gowda, and Dr. Vasanth Kumar Perla.
Harate Katte
While sessions were taking place in two auditoriums, another major attraction was the Harate Katte—a space where guests and the audience could engage in informal conversations. A session on “Bhairappa in Translations” was conducted by Dr. M.S. Vijaya Haran and Dr. H.R. Vishwas. A special session titled “Gita for Gen Z” was also organised here, with Harini Pagadal and Aashish Chaudhary as the main speakers. In a conversation led by Vikram Fadke and Kashyap N. Nayak, light was shed on the role of politics and the supremacy of worldly wisdom in Bhairappa’s literature.
The first day was filled with vibrant discussions, tributes, and enthusiastic participation, truly reflecting the spirit of the ‘Idea of Bharat’.