Bhopal: Literature fest turns into silent poetry with rhythms

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Every year when winter reaches its peak and the spring peeps through the welkins of the city, Bhopal literature festival sets in motion.

This is the time when the arena of Bharat Bhawan, where the festival is held, is echoed with the warbles of winged pipers and rustling noise of dry leaves. This is the perfect setting to hold a literature festival.

When the festival entered its second day on Saturday, it turned into silent poetry. Yet, its rhythms could be heard.

The crowd consisted mostly of youths, middle-aged men and women and elderly people. There was no session for children.

There were special sessions for children in the literature festivals held in previous years and authors on children’s books held interactions with them.

Many school children, however, visited Bharat Bhawan where the festival is going on.

Nonetheless, when the issue was raised before an official of the public relations department, he said there was no session for the children this year. A small event has been kept for the last day.

A few children with their teacher were seen at a hall where the painting exhibition of Bhalu Mondhe is going on. They were absorbed in those canvases because of the hues the artist used.

One of the children from a well-known school in the city was looking at a painting named Fetching Water. Two portraits – one of Yashwantrao Holkar and the other of Malharao Holkar – especially attracted the children. Mondhe made both the paintings.

All of a sudden, Kabir Bedi entered the hall with a large crowd of journalists and many officials. The children wanted to know from their teacher who he was. The teacher said he was Kabir Bedi whose book, Stories I Must Tell: The Emotional Life of an Actor, was on display.

The children, with whom the teacher was in the hall, looked at an elegant Kabir Bedi with a wide-eyed wonder.

Book sellers said other than Bedi’s work, Amitabh Bachchan The Forever Star by Pradeep Chandra was in demand.

The centre, where the books are on display, has become a Treasure Island.