Jnanpith awardee Shri Chandrasekhar Kambara will inaugurate the fest. Historian and researcher Shri Chidananda Murthy will be bestowed with the lifetime achievement award.
One of the biggest literary extravaganza in the country is ready to enthrall and educate the audience again in its second edition. The 2-day Mangaluru Lit Fest 2019 will be held on 29th and 30th November at the TMA Pai Convention Centre in the city. A multitude of literary giants, thinkers, writers, researchers, academicians, journalists, Dharmic gurus and armed forces veterans will participate in the much awaited fest. The theme of the lit fest is ‘The Idea of Bharat – Today and Tomorrow’.
The fest organised by the Mangaluru Literary Foundation will be inaugurated by Jnanpith awardee Shri. Chandrasekhar Kambara on the 29th. The organisers addressed a press meet in the city on Nov 25th and provided the details of the fest. Dr N Vinaya Hegde, Vice Chancellor of Nitte University will preside over the inaugural programme. Member of Parliament from Rajya Sabha Shri. Rajeev Chandrashekhar will be the guest of honor. Sri Matighatta Chaitra, Director of Aarohi Research Foundation will ideate over the two day fest and its aim.
The organisers said that the Mangaluru Lit Fest intends to highlight the literary & cultural diversity of Bharat by creating a conducive platform for thought provoking & captivating intellectual deliberations. More than 60 speakers from various fields will discuss and deliberate on various issues and topics both in English and Kannada. The topics will be from history, current affairs, research, literature, academics, journalism, religion and dharma.
The first edition of the Mangaluru Lit Fest was held on November 3rd and 4th in 2018. Nearly 50 speakers, writers, academicians were part of the 2018 edition.
Lifetime Achievement Award
Historian and researcher Shri Chidananda Murthy will be bestowed with the lifetime achievement award on 29th at the Lit Fest. Born in 1931, Chidananda Murthy is a Kannada writer, researcher and historian. He is a well-known scholar specializing in the history of Kannada language and ancient Karnataka. He campaigned aggressively to conserve the monuments at Hampi. He was also one of the prominent voices who opposed ‘Tipu Jayanti’ and attempts to glorify the tyrant due to political reasons. He worked hard to secure classical language status to Kannada.
His prominent works include commentaries on Vacana s?hitya, Kavir?jam?rga, Sa???dhane, Karn??aka sa?skr?ti among many others. He has been the recipient of Rajyothsava award, Sahitya Academy Award and Pampa Award in 2002.
The lifetime achievement award at the inaugural edition of the lit fest in 2018 was bestowed on giant of Kannada literature Shri SL Bhyrappa.
65 speakers and 3 arenas
The Lit Fest will have renowned speakers, writers and researchers such as Koenraad Elst, Dr Muhammad KK, Aravindan Neelakantan, Dr Waiel Awwad, Maria Wirth, Sraddalu Ranade, Sandeep Balakrishna, Henrieeta Lucy Guest, Sunil Ambekar, Ravi Kumar Iyer, Rajaram Hegde, Diwakar Hegde, Vasudendra, Radhakrishna Kalchar, Dr Ajjakala Girish Bhat, NH Ravindranath, Nandan Prabhu among others.
Rajya Sabha MP Rajeev Chandrashekar, MP and Union Minister Anurag Thakur, Lok Sabha MP Tejasvi Surya, Actor Malavika Avinash, ANI Editor-in-Chief Smita Prakash, Journalist Barkha Dutt, Editor of Goa Chronicle Savio Rodrigues, BJP General Secretary B L Santhosh, Actor and Playwright Prakash Belawadi, actor and director T S Nagabharana, journalist Shiv Aroor, and many others will also be among the speakers.
The lit fest will be having 31 sessions spread across three arenas – the Chavadi, Two Sides and Manthan.
Some of the interesting topics scheduled for discussion at ‘Chavadi’ are Excavating Truth – A interactive session with senior archaeologist Dr K K Muhammed, The RSS: Roadmaps for the 21st Century – A Book Discussion with Sunil Ambekar, Is the Media Leaning? – A debate with Smita Prakash and Barkha Dutt, Islam in India – A discussion with Arif Mohammad Khan.
At ‘Two Sides’, some of the prominent deliberations are Children of Saraswathi – A Book Discussion with Maj Gen G D Bakshi, Savarkar: Echoes from the Past – A Book Discussion with Vikram Sampath, JNU: What is Right in the Left? – A discussion with Tejasvi Surya and Anand Ranganathan. Several topics on Traditions, Nature, Search for Truth, have been scheduled at the ‘Manthan’ arena.
Art and Activity
Apart from the literary extravaganza, the fest will also have workshop on Yakshagana by Alva’s Yakshagana Training Centre. Guests can also learn clay modelling at a workshop by Ravi Gunaga. A art workshop and exhibition is also arranged by Mahalasa School of Art. Children can participate in the drawing and painting competition at the venue.
Story telling sessions by Baikady Janardhan Achar will be a treat for the young children. Photo exhibition by ace photographer Vishwanath Suvarna has also been arranged for connoisseurs of photography.
‘Sanskritika Sandhya’ will be presented by students of Alva’s Samskrithika Vaibhava team on 29th evening. ‘Blood Buddhas’, a documentary film by Nikhil Singh Rajput on India’s stolen idols will also be screened at the Fest.
