Chandigarh Lit Fest concludes with vision to transform city into literary hub

The Chandigarh Lit Fest (CLF) – Literati 2024, a vibrant celebration of literature, art and creativity, concluded on Sunday at Sukhna Lake Club, with a promise to transform the ‘City Beautiful’ into a hub of ‘literary tourism.’

The festival began with a heartfelt tribute to the late Dr Surjit Patar in the session titled “In Memoriam: Lafzah Di Dargaah.” Poets Amy Singh and Jassi Sangha reflected on Patar’s profound yet simple poetry, which captured the human experience. They shared an anecdote from a poetry conference in South Africa, where, despite heavy rain, a large crowd gathered to hear Patar’s verses.

In another intellectually stimulating session, “History as Storytelling: Reviving the Lost Chapters,” author Ira Mukhoty discussed her book ‘The Lion and the Lily,’ which delves into the rise of Awadh in the 18th century. She said the title symbolised the complex relationship between India (the lion) and France (the lily) during that time.

‘The Power of Narrative Theatre and Beyond’ was an engaging session led by Padma Shri Neelam Mansingh Chowdhry, who illustrated the transformative power of theatre. She spoke about the immediacy and intimacy of theatre as an art form that connects with audiences on a deep emotional and intellectual level. Theatre director and filmmaker MK Raina emphasised how theatre serves as a storytelling medium that fosters community connection and reflection.

‘Beauty in Diversity: Love, Language and Poetry was another session featuring multi-award-winning translator Rakhshanda Jalil, who celebrated the elegance of Urdu. She described it as a language capable of “filling an ocean into a tiny vessel.” Jalil was joined by Vijai Vardhan, a senior bureaucrat and author, who spoke about his book ‘Kurukshetra: Timeless Sanctity,’ exploring the spiritual and mystical significance of the site, which has been a confluence of diverse faiths over the centuries.

The festival also hosted a range of thought-provoking discussions on topics including the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, the interplay between imagination and reality and the intersection of AI and creativity. Notable authors such as Sanam Sutirath Wazir, Dr Madhav Kaushik, president of the National Sahitya Akademi and Jitendra Srivastava shared insights.

In the final session, filmmaker Soham Shah and singer-actor Karan Oberoi spoke about the blend of horror and satire in contemporary narratives. Shah spoke about his experiences filming ‘Kaal,’ a paranormal thriller and his new book, ‘Blood Moon.’ Karan Oberoi closed the session with an electrifying performance that captivated the audience.

Dr Sumita Misra, festival director of CLF Literati and chairperson of CLS, expressed gratitude, stating, “Together, we will make the ‘City Beautiful’ a ‘literary tourism hub’.”