Creativity fills the air at the Chinar Book Festival,

NBT’S Creativity fills the air at the Chinar Book Festival, 

MPNN – AINA INDIA

Literature, books, and creativity go hand in hand. The Chinar Book Festival has brought a true festivity of letters. With the presence of artists, poets, authors, and musicians, the scenic beauty of SKICC is abuzz with books at the Chinar Book Festival.

On Day 4 of the Book Festival, speaking at the literary forum of the festival, Chinar Talks, renowned actor and director Chandraprakash Dwivedi noted that the portrayal of Kashmir in films has evolved due to changing audience interests and modernization. Anant Vijay, renowned Journalist and Author, said that when we think of natural beauty, Kashmir is the first name that comes to mind. However, it’s unfortunate that Kashmir has often been used merely as a scenic backdrop. There has been a lack of representation of Kashmir’s literature, art, culture, music, and especially its youth in films. The discussion also covered the new film policy of the Kashmir government.

An enlightening photo exhibition organized by the Indian Council of Historical Research (ICHR) displaying the cultural heritage of Jammu, Kashmir, and Ladakh through a collection of over 70 panels is one of the major attractions of the festival. The exhibition showcases the evolution of Jammu and Kashmir over the years, including its ancient texts, the influence of Buddhism, the development of Sanskrit, and the region’s role during the British rule. It also paid tribute to the heroes of the 1947-48 war, recognizing their bravery and contributions. Talking about the cultural importance of the part of the country on human civilizations, Chairman of Indian Council of Historical Research, Prof. Raghuvendra Tanwar, highlighted the importance of exposing children and youth and emphasized the festival’s role in nurturing interest in literature and history among the younger generation.

Today, the festival also hosted the Afsana Khwani program organized by the National Council for Promotion of Urdu Language (NCPUL), featuring celebrated author Noor Shah.

Earlier in the day, a workshop was organized on empathy and emotional well-being by experts for the children and youth. Also, “The Art of Asking Questions” by Bhaskar Indrakanti saw many students lined up for a personality development workshop through confidence and effective questioning as key factors for personal growth and communication.

Free digital books offered by Rashtriya E Pustakalaya application by the Department of School Education & Literacy, Government of India hosted orientation sessions for schools and conducted practical demonstrations and user experience at the digital reading center. The team managing the orientation informed that users can read thousands of books for free on the application. The application has books in 23 languages including Kashmiri Urdu, Dogri. The latest addition on the application is a set of books on Bhartiya Nyay Samhita, Bhartiya Nagrik Suraksha Samhita, and Bhartiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, a compendium of new criminal laws.

Day 4 of the Chinar Book Festival witnessed long queues at the bookstalls in Urdu and English, where people were scrolling through classics, whereas children were looking into books on fiction, graphic novels, etc.

Melodious musical performances have been attracting locals in the evening. Fair organizers informed that Vishal Bhardwaj, Rekha Bhardwaj, Shadaj Band, Yugma Band, and a performance by Rahgir are lined up in the coming days at the book festival. The district administration has also arranged for free bus service from Ghanta Ghar, Lal Chowk, Dal Chowk to SKICC for the book fair visitors.