‘VoW@VIRASAT’ Dehradun to be held on 30 Oct

By Sachin Chauhan and Dr Tania Saili 
Dehradun, 23 Oct: In its first-ever collaboration with the Virasat festival, Valley of Words (VoW) will present ‘VoW@VIRASAT’ at the Himalayan Cultural Centre in Dehradun on 30 October. Scheduled from 1 p.m. to 5.30 p.m., the line-up will bring together literature, poetry, thought-provoking conversations and music on a single platform.
The programme will begin with a welcome address by Sachin Chauhan, followed by a discussion on Rajkumar Panwar’s book Ab Hua Savera, in conversation with Someshwar Pandey. The discussion will focus on two pressing challenges facing Uttarakhand—migration, and the growing problem of substance abuse among young people.
The next session will explore the complete poetic works of Buddhinath Mishra, a distinguished figure in the tradition of Hindi songwriting. Renowned author Indrajit Singh will engage in a conversation with the poet, examining his creative journey, literary contributions and poetic vision.
Marking 25 years since the formation of Uttarakhand, the session titled ‘Uttarakhand@25’ will reflect on the state’s journey and its various social, cultural and developmental dimensions through a book titled Uttarakhand@25 where editor Sanjeev Chopra and co-editor Gandharv Gopal Joshi will discuss the subject with Rajlakshmi Datta, with Manoj Barthwal as chair of the session.
Poetry will take centrestage in the following session, featuring recitations by Amber Kharbanda, Shruti Vats, Someshwar Pandey and Bharti Mishra. Moderated by Sachin Chauhan and presided over by senior poet Buddhinath Mishra, the Hindi poetry session will offer audiences an opportunity to experience a range of emotions, themes and poetic expressions.
The programme will conclude with a musical presentation featuring the songs of celebrated Punjabi poet Shiv Kumar Batalvi, performed by Abhinav Tyagi. Blending literary conversations, poetic expression and music, the event promises an engaging afternoon for literature and art enthusiasts.
About the collaboration, Festival Director Valley of Words, Dr Sanjeev Chopra stated, “The coming together of VoW and Virasat is like the confluence of two streams – each adding  its own unique flavour to enhance the cultural life of this picturesque Valley. This marks the beginning of a partnership that will strengthen the domain of literature and the arts in Dehradun.”
Valley of Words and Virasat invite literature enthusiasts, book lovers, music aficionados and art lovers to join the celebration of words, ideas and artistic expression.