If anybody had any doubts whatsoever about the status of Dehradun as a literary destination, these would have been cleared once and for all by the mark that the second edition of Dehradun literature Festival is making on the literary scene in the Doon valley. Audiences are mesmerized, speakers are specially charged and eloquent and the environment is one of pure joy that comes from intellectual deliberation amid scenic surroundings.
On Thursday evening, the venue -Unison World School- was decked like a bride as a huge number of people crowded its beautiful environs to be able to witness the inaugural session which began with a speech by the Governor Dr K K Paul. Dr Paul spoke about the rich literary tradition of Uttarakhand and especially the Doon valley which has been home to many a well-known writer. He laid stress on the need for more translations and for better children’s literature so that they would be attracted towards them, leaving the digital world for a while. He said that Dehradun literature Festival was a wonderful initiative and had brought together many authors and celebrities under one roof. He said that this would help in bringing back the romance of reading and writing into our lives.
When Ruskin Bond, the internationally renowned author from Mussoorie, and mystic Sadhguru went on the stage (Mystic meets the legend session), people were extremely excited to see the two celebrities together and the crowds could barely contain their energy.
It was indeed a historic moment for Doonites. The two were meeting for the first time. Sadhguru said that he had been reading Bond’s works since he was eight years old! He said he had often thought of calling up on Bond while he was trekking in the Himalayas but somehow he could not do it. The two spoke about their love for the hills. Sadhguru said he was slave of the mountains while Bond said that mountains were in his blood and he could not remain away from them for long. He said he too was their slave.
The refined and subtle sense of humour of Bond helped him maintain a wonderful balance in this unique conversation. Sadhguru, with his effervescent humour, evoked many a laugh from the audience too. When Bond said that monkeys come into his room through the window and make off with his pyjamas, Sadhguru retorted that in all his travels in the Himalayas, he had never come across a monkey wearing Bond’s pyjamas!
While Sadhguru recounted the many years he spent his life on a motorcycle, roaming around without any purpose or destination, Bond recalled his days in the Dehra of the 1940s and 1950s when it was a “bicycle town” and everyone either walked or rode a bicycle. He regretted that there were hardly any open spaces now for children to play and cycle.
Bond read out Sadhguru’s poem on the Firefly and on Coffee (An Ode to Coffee). Sadhguru said that when he was in school, he used to sell his text books and buy novels instead. He said his aimless travelling had been the richest part of his life. Sadhguru also released Bond’s new book titled ‘The Beauty of All My Days’ on the occasion.
The energy one could feel moving around the two fascinating persons on the stage was reaching the mesmerized audience. There followed a long question and answer session where it was the sadhguru to whom most questions were addressed.
Bond was asked about his ghost stories by a student. He said he was sure that spirits of parents, friends and relatives keep hovering around us to look after us. It was an extremely witty and educational session. Bond said that for him too, it had been a learning experience where many dimensions of spirituality were discussed.
The three-day festival will conclude on Saturday evening. Sessions in the festival include “Uttarakhand’s Heritage and Creativity”, “Road to Freedom” “The Phenomenal Women of India”, “The Reality Behind Cinema”(Madhur Bhandarkar’s session ), “Poetry, Prose and Publishing” DNA of India (Session with Sudhir Chaudhury–Zee News), and “Perils of Being Moderately Famous“ (Soha Ali Khan in conversation with Sharmila Tagore).
The festival also features painters, musicians and storytellers. Its immense variety and vibrancy is drawing huge audiences, including school and college students, all booklovers in the valley and many others.
