A Random Outing – Part I

One of my colleagues, soon after retirement, took a tour of all his favourite joints in the city just to feel the freshness of freedom.

My first casual outing post retirement was on the fifteenth of this month, two months later.

I had a single destination – the Festival of Letters – organised by the Sahitya Akademi from eleventh to sixteenth of this month. It was held in Ravindra Bhavan at Mandi House.

Mandi House is the hub of cultural activities of the city very close to my school. Though  situated in the central part of the city, with continuous flow of  traffic  during daytime, it has an aura of its own.

Sahitya Academi, an independent Society (under the Indian Societies Registration Act, 1860), supported by the Indian Government (Ministry of Culture), is dedicated to promotion of regional as well as English literature. It was founded on 12.03.1954.

The logo of Sahitya Akademi was designed by the internationally acclaimed Film Director Satyajit Ray.

Ravindra Bhavan houses not only the Sahitya Akademi but also the Lalit Kala Academy (Academy of Fine Arts)  and Sahitya Natak Academy (Literature and Theatre Academy).

Sahitya Akademi recognises literary works in twenty four Indian languages including English and Nepali.

The entrance to Ravindra Bhavan is as grand as the interiors.

That’s my Brother-in-Law posing before the long line of statues of men and women of letters who fought for India’s independence.

Incidentally, the proposal by the Royal Asiatic Society of Bengal for a ‘National Cultural Trust’ was in principle accepted by the colonial British Government in 1944.

My sister at the entry to the Exhibition which was well decorated.

The interior was covered with a colourful canopy through which sunshine filtered in adding an extra shade to the spring daylight.

Tha national emblem, golden in colour,  was eye catching, holding ground meaningfully, overseeing and according approval to the Akademi’s endeavour to honour the Letters of India in all its regional flavours.

The first General Council of the Akademi included members such as Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan, Abdul Kalam Azad, C Rajagopalachari and others. The Council was presided over by Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, as its first Chairperson,  not because he was the then Prime Minister of India but because of his stature of a distinguished writer and author.

Dr. S Radhakrishnan, in his speech on the purpose of the Sahitya Akademi elaborated on the link between the two words –  Sahitya in Sanskrit meaning literature and Akademi in Greek meaning a committee of men.

Dr. Radhakrishnan, in his own words :

The name itself signifies  a confluence of two ancient civilizations and cultures which have influenced languages, literatures and arts world over. In brief, the two words put together mean a committee of men to uphold and preserve  the national heritage of written words.

The Akademi boasts one of the largest multilingual libraries of India.

The grounds of the Bhavan are dotted with imposing sculptures and statues.

As it is to be, the Fest showcases letters condensed into  books in different languages. Again interestingly, some of the languages were recognised by the Akademi much before the Constitution of India.

The books were kept in an orderly disordered manner which I found quite interesting.

The inviting entry to the vortex of the exhibition – books.

The rows and rows of books !

The atmosphere was informal. People  browsing through books Elderly men sitting around, chatting and perhaps waiting for the evening literary meets, sessions and discussions to be graced by eminent  litterateurs and academicians.

The branches of the trees, not yet having burst into thick clusters of verdant green, were ingenuously used to light up the grounds for the evening.

Last but not the least, selfie time. Me and sis

I have a fascination for shadows and reflections

So how did you like the tour ?

Do let me know by way of like, share, comment and subscribe.

God bless.

Courtesy : Wikipedia