The three-day ‘Raipur literary Festival’ commencing from December 12 will become a bridge for meaningful dialogue between regional and national litterateurs.
They will be able to know and understand the literary and cultural characteristics of different states, said Director, Public Relations Rajat Kumar.
He said that the preparations for the national event to be organized at Purkhauti Muktangan in Naya Raipur had begun four months ago. The programme will not provide an opportunity to the litterateurs and people with interest in literature to meet famous writers but also prove beneficial for students and teachers for educational aspect.
Kumar said that the participants will be able to get glimpse of glorious folk culture and folk craft of the State. In the different sessions, discussions will be held between litterateurs of national repute on literary activities and issues related to literature. The people will be able to listen lectures on issues related to country and society. A book fair will also be organised on the occasion.
He said that the four ‘mandaps’ (temporary structures) being erected for the event have been named after great literary-cultural personalities of Chhattisgarh including Gajanan Madhav Muktibodh, Mukutdhar Pandey, Padumlal Punnalal Bakshi and Habeeb Tanveer. As many as 53 sessions will be held in these mandaps in three days with a number of session based on artistic culture and literary environment of Chhattisgarh.
These sessions will include subjects like ‘Folk literature of Chhattisgarh’, Chhattisgarhi Cinema and lokrang’, History, archaeology and Culture of Chhattisgarh’, ‘New Sensibility in Modern literature of Chhattisgarh’, Folk literature of Surguja, Gurtur Chhattisgarhi, etc.
The litterateurs will hold discussions on ‘Andhere Mein’, the famous poem by Gajanan Madhav Muktibodh. lectures wil be delivered by scholars on subjects like ‘pratirodh ka sahitya’, ‘asahmatiyo ke beech sahitya’, ‘kavita ki nai juban’, ‘rachnakar aur unke rachnatmak anubhav’, ‘sahitya mein lokrpiyata ki khoj’, ‘loktantra aur sahitya’, ‘rangmanch chunautiya’, etc.
Workshops on creative writing, cartoon and photography will also be conducted during the programme.
Incidentally, Chhattisgarh has been aggressively participating in events across the country to showcase talent of its artisans, cuisines, cultural and folk heritage.
To begin with, the bamboo craft of Chhattisgarh was a major draw in the ongoing India International Trade Fair hekld recently in New Delhi, officials stated.
The attractive purse, file covers, bags, wall hangings, baskets and pen-stand displayed in the stalls is attracting domestic as well as foreign visitors and buyers, they said.
The bamboo craft is a unique representation of the centuries old tradition of tribal Chhattisgarh women. The bamboo craft is a tough work right from collection of bamboo to transforming it into beautiful artwork. The cleaning of raw bamboo is a real challenge for the artists as bamboo contains hidden worms.
This apart , the State government has provided a platform to the artists to showcase their talent. The women entrepreneurs are being promoted through bamboo craft. The bamboo mission was started in Bastar in 2006-07 and bamboo farming was promoted through this. The tribals were provided better employment opportunities through their traditional craftsmanship.
The artisans of Chhattisgarh’s famed bamboo craft items are now being made to participate in Dilli Haat and the prominent trade fairs held in the national capital for better marketing and sale of their products.
Through the Bamboo Craft Project, talented artisans of the area have received self-employment after being imparted proper training and other necessary assistance to them.
Housing arrangements have also been made available to these artisans through Indira Awas Yojana. Bamboo and other materials have been provided to them at local level in Bastar region of the State.
For the marketing of the crafts items, these artisans were being sent to the exhibitions, Delhi Haat, Trade fairs etc organised in big cities of the country, besides making proper efforts through Rajyotsav, Bastar lokotsav and Chhattisgarh Haat at local level.
Senior artisans of Narayanpur Bamboo Craft Project have brought fame to the district by organising exhibitions of their craftworks abroad also, officials stated.
This apart, domestic and foreign visitors to the forthcoming ‘Surajkund International Crafts Fair’ in Haryana would get an opportunity to savour Chhattisgarhi cuisine in a food stall to be established by the Chhattisgarh Tourism Board (CTB) at the venue.
Moreover, besides promoting the various tourist destinations of Chhattisgarh, the CTB would also showcase the cultural and traditional cuisines of the State.
Notably, Chhattisgarh has been selected as the ‘Theme State’ for ‘Surajkund International Crafts Fair’ to be organized in February 2015.
It is noteworthy that every year, a State of the country is selected as the ‘Theme State’ for Surajkund fair, and the one selected is given the chance to exhibit its art and culture.
Notably, the Chhattisgarh Handicrafts Development Board will look after the theme-based decoration of area allotted at the exhibition venue.
The Board, in association with the Exhibition Authority, will erect a permanent gate there at the exhibition venue. This gate will symbolize the historical, religious and other important monuments of Chhattisgarh.
The Handicraft and Matikala Board will select a traditional family of Chhattisgarh for their presence in the exhibition.
The Chhattisgarh Handloom Development Board will also organize a fashion show, based on the theme – ‘Handloom, art, culture and traditions of Chhattisgarh’. The Directorate of Culture will select artists to present the cultural heritage of Chhattisgarh at the international fair.
Special cultural performances will be staged on the inaugural and concluding programme of the exhibition. The Directorate of Archaeology will prepare replication of important monuments in Chhattisgarh State. likewise, the Forest Department will put up a stall of forest-based medicines at the venue.