The third edition of the three-day international literature and arts festival—Valley of Words — will begin in Dehradun on November 15. Celebrating the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak, the event will begin with a rendition of Bani by a group from Punjabi University, Patiala using the musical instruments which were originally used during the Sikh guru’s times.
Addressing the media here on Tuesday, the festival’s honourary curator Sanjeev Chopra said that the keynote on the first day of the event will be delivered by Indian-American author and founder of Infinity Foundation, Rajiv Malhotra. He will be speaking on civilisation in the age of artificial intelligence.
About 70 sessions will be held during the three-event which will also be attended by about 200 authors. Of the authors of 34 shortlisted books, about 27 authors who are in India will also be attending the event. Further awards will be presented to authors in seven different categories. Chopra said that though the marigold flower is already used to pay homage to martyrs, this flower will be formally launched as a tribute associated with martyrs in the presence of general (retd) Ian Cardozo, who had amputated his own leg after it was shot during the 1971 war and the only amputee to become a general in the army. Debates, conversations with authors, book launches and eight exhibitions will also be held as part of the Valley of Words.
Uttarakhand State Council for Science and Technology (UCOST) director general Rajendra Dobhal who is heading the RS Tolia Forum in the Valley of Words informed that noted environmentalist Sachidanand Bharti will be felicitated on the first day of the event.
With Uttarakhand completing nearly 20 years of its existence, an entire session has been dedicated to looking back and forward on major issues pertaining to the state. The State’s finance and planning secretary Amit Singh Negi will deliver the keynote address on ‘Uttarakhand @ 20- measuring the yardstick’ on the first day of the event, he said.
Doon Library and Research Centre director BK Joshi appreciated the experience of having attended earlier editions of the Valley of Words. After every edition, the arrivals and memberships in the library had also seen a rise, he added.
The discussions during the festival will be on topics ranging from non-fiction and fiction books, history, current affairs, military history and strategy among others.
Cultural performances will also be staged during the event.