'Delhi Shabdotsav 2026' to be inaugurated today
New Delhi, Jan 2
The inaugural function of "Delhi Shabdotsav 2026", a three-day Indian literary and cultural festival, will be held at National Stadium on Friday with Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta in attendance, an official said.
The event will feature over 100 prominent speakers, including National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Sunil Ambekar, Manmohan Vaidya and Sachchidanand Joshi, along with more than 40 book releases, six cultural performances, and two poets' meets.
Earlier, after the poster launch of the event on December 29, CM Gupta was apprised by Art and Culture Minister Kapil Mishra on the event's schedule and other related campaign activities.
CM Gupta wrote on X, "Following the launch of the poster for the 'Delhi Shabdotsav' program, the organisers' team met under the leadership of Cabinet colleague Shri @KapilMishra_IND ji."
"From January 2 to 4, esteemed thinkers, writers, and speakers from across the country will participate in 'Delhi Shabdotsav', organised by the Delhi Government and Suruchi Prakashan at Major Dhyan Chand Stadium. During the programme, book releases, cultural presentations, and a poets' conclave will also be held," wrote the Chief Minister on X.
On this occasion, the Chief Minister's Cabinet colleague Ashish Sood, MLAs Abhay Verma and Rajkumar Bhatia, along with other distinguished guests, were present.
Earlier on Monday, Delhi Art and Culture Minister Kapil Mishra announced that the Department and a publishing house will jointly organise the country's largest literature and cultural festival, Delhi Shabdotsav, on January 2, 3 and 4 at the Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium.
"Students from the nearly 40 universities from Delhi NCR will also participate in the cultural event," he said.
Mishra said the event will feature programmes like Bharatnatyam, Kathak, Bhajan Sandhya, Kavi Sammelan and Somnath Jyotirlinga Darshan.
He said the Delhi Chief Minister will inaugurate the festival, while Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami and Chhattisgarh Home Minister Vijay Sharma will also attend the event.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Great initiative by the Delhi government. Including students from 40+ universities is a smart move to engage the youth with our cultural roots. The line-up of speakers is impressive too.
While I appreciate the effort, I hope the focus remains on literature and culture and doesn't become overly political, given some of the speakers' backgrounds. Let's keep it about art and ideas.
As someone new to Delhi, I'm excited to experience this! The blend of book releases, classical dance, and poetry seems like a perfect introduction to India's rich cultural tapestry. Will definitely attend.
Bahut badhiya! 40+ book releases in one festival is no small feat. Hope they have good arrangements at the stadium and the weather cooperates. Jai Hind!
My only request is that they live-stream the key sessions, especially the poets' meet, for those of us who can't make it to the venue. Cultural festivals should leverage technology for wider reach.
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