Kathmandu-Kalinga Literary Festival brings together litterateurs from Nepal and India

Kathmandu, The third edition of the Kathmandu Kalinga Literary Festival kicked off in Lalitpur Metropolitan City on Saturday with the participation of more than 200 literary personalities from Nepal, India and other South Asian countries.

Economist and popular historian Sanjeev Sanyal, who is a member of the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister of India, Prasanna Srivastava, deputy chief of the Indian Embassy here, former Indian diplomat and a former UN Assistant Secretary-General turned novelist Lakshmi M Puri, were among those who addressed the inaugural ceremony.

Prominent Nepali litterateur Dr Bhuwan Dhungana also spoke at the inaugural session which was chaired by Rashmi Ranjan, who also chairs the Kathmandu Kalinga Literary Festival .

“The two-day festival brings together some 200 writers from Nepal, India and other South Asian countries, fostering a rich exchange of literary and cultural traditions,” the organisers said.

One of the speakers was former Ambassador of Nepal Ranjit Rai, who reflected on his tenure as ambassador during a challenging period as mentioned in his book ‘Kathmandu Dilemma: Resetting India-Nepal ties.’ His book aims to address misconceptions about India's role in Nepal.

The event, titled ‘Nepal: The Gateway to Asian Art, Culture, and Literature’ celebrates the spirit of Lord Shiva and Gautama Buddha in the context of Nepal-India literary ties, the organisers said. It was inaugurated by Bhupal Rai, Chancellor of Nepal Academy, which is a national institution for promotion of languages, culture and poetry among other things.

Speaking at the inaugural session, Rai said, culture and literature serves as the bridge to connect people among different countries in the South Asia region.

“This has been instrumental in strengthening Nepal-India bilateral ties,” he added.

Focussing on the glorious traditions of Nepal and India, the Kalinga Literary Festival Kathmandu will showcase literature, music, dance, poetry and other art forms.

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