Yayavar literary festival held

The 8th edition of the Yayavar Literary Festival commenced with great enthusiasm at the KL Saigal Memorial Hall, serving as a grand platform for literary discussions and cultural performances. The event was graced by Vaneet Dhir, the Mayor of Jalandhar, who addressed the gathering and extended his best wishes for the festival. A symbolic illustration of Yayavar was unveiled by Deepak Bali, Advisor to the Punjab Heritage and Tourism Promotion Board, along with Sangat Ram and other dignitaries during the Yayavar Baithak.

This year’s festival brought together poets, authors and artists for a series of vibrant sessions. The event opened on a spiritual note with Gayatri and Saraswati Mantras, led by Garima Singh, followed by a warm welcome from Nupur Sandhu, the founder and director of the festival. The festival was further enriched by captivating Kathak performances from Bhavya Jain and Vibhuti Jain. Keynote speakers, including Kritika Khanna, Brig Rajiv Mahna (Retd), Vineet KKN ‘Panchhi’ and Vineet K Bansal, shared motivational insights that inspired the audience.

The festival featured engaging panel discussions, including a powerful symposium on spy thrillers with Col RMS Sandhu and “HIT Man” Lucky Singh Bisht, as well as a poetic sojourn with Dr Jas Kohli, Sanjeev Bansal, Vandana Singla and Manjit Grewal. Other notable sessions included The Quest with Super-Naturals, featuring Jay Alani and Anita Krishan, moderated by Kalpana Singla; Stalwarts of Punjab with Lt Gen GS Cheema and sports writer Navdeep Gill; and a symposium on crime fiction with Vikram Singh and Chetan Batra, moderated by Shefali Arora. The event also welcomed Gaggun Bedi, the ‘Pride of Punjab,’ as the Guest of Honour.

The festival attracted numerous dignitaries, including SC Sood, Surender Seth, Seema Anand Chopra, Kadambari Mittal and Anjali Dada from the Bookworms Club, along with several local reading clubs and academic institutions. Participating institutions included the National Institute of Technology Jalandhar, Lyallpur Khalsa College, Doaba College, Kanya Mahavidyalaya, Hans Raj Mahila Mahavidyalaya and Government Sports College.

Co-organised by Shefali Arora and hosted by Dr Ramandeep Oberoi, the event was a resounding success, with Nupur Sandhu expressing her gratitude to the authors, moderators, guests of honour, media partners and sponsors, including Raman Jindal, Rishi Garg (Vrindavan Chikitsalaya Group), Sunil Jain (Jain Overseas) and marketing partner Tushti Bhatia (Flipping Pages).

Jalandhar