Bhopal(Madhya Pradesh): Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan will inaugurate the 4th season of the much-awaited Bhopal Literature & Arts Festival at Bharat Bhawan on March 25.
Chairman of Society for Culture and Environment, Raghav Chandra informed this in a press conference , held at Jehan Numa Palace Hotel in the city on Wednesday.
Chandra said, “The three-day festival is different from other such Festivals as it is being developed and branded as a 'Knowledge Kumbh' for the young generation to develop a world-view which combines the best of global and local.”
He said that diverse subjects such as wildlife conservation, environment, national security, politics, film criticism, history, heritage, diplomacy and social issues including, education and population dynamics, would be discussed by eminent authors and scholars during the three days.
“We started the knowledge festival in 2019 and despite Covid-19 we did not allow the series to break and held the 2021 edition virtually,” Chandra said.
Shobhaa De, the celebrity writer who has written about changing human relationships during Covid-19, would be one of the star attractions. The First Lady of the Republic of Iceland, a global writer of Canadian origin, Eliza Jean Reid would be in a virtual discussion with Chandra about subjects like gender equality and governance in Iceland.
In all, there are 45 enriching sessions tackling diverse subjects. There would be awards to school students, who have excelled in poetry performances held under the BLF banner. The winners will be given a chance to perform in BLF. Mumtaz Khan, a fashion designer of Bhopal would make a presentation about the ethnic fashions of the Begums of Bhopal.
Tribal artists led by Padma Shri Bhajju Shyam and Deepa Shyam will be painting a canvas live, in front of the audience for the first time. The painting will be autographed by the authors participating in the BLF and the painting will be auctioned with proceeds going largely to tribal artists, Chandra added. The mascot for this year’s BLF is a work done exclusively by Padma Shri Gond painter Bhuri Bai.
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