Report: Himalayan Echoes Festival
Thoughtful programming and warm hospitality marked the event that was held over two bracing November days at the Abbotsford Estate in Nainital
Literature festivals often do a good job of feeding the mind but they can leave the heart famished. This happens especially when there is a lot of input but too little time to process it all. It then seems like everyone wants to deliver their spiel without taking a breath to just listen, feel, soak in, and let things unfold. This can be hard for introverts, neurodiverse people, and the less verbose — groups whose needs are not prioritized in contemporary society that tends to reward people who like to put themselves out there, get noticed, and network furiously.

Himalayan Echoes; Kumaon Festival of Literature and Arts, held in Nainital on November 16 and 17, departed significantly from this tiring template. There were no parallel sessions, so speakers did not have to fret about competition. Instead of being crammed into auditoriums or makeshift tents, participants were exposed to the natural beauty on display at the Abbotsford Estate. All the sessions were hosted outdoors at this beautiful heritage homestay surrounded by the hills, where Janhavi Prasada — the founder of the festival — lives with her family.

She proudly rattled off the names of various trees on the property – surai, walnut, horse chestnut, and Himalayan oak – that nature lovers could appreciate. Participants sipped freshly brewed coffee and snacked on chocolate cookies as the magical winter sunshine caressed their cheeks. This is not an exaggeration. Being there felt like walking into a fairy tale. The theme of the festival itself was C.A.L.M. (Creativity. Art. Literature. Mountains.)
Prasada, a social entrepreneur and author of the book Tales of Young Gandhi, is now busy writing a memoir about growing up in this house and her relationship with the Kumaon region of Uttarakhand that has played a formative role in her life. “I think that a literature festival is a great way to celebrate, nurture and protect the culture of a place. We want to keep it intimate so that people have an opportunity to mingle, get to know each other, and just connect with the surroundings,” she said at the opening ceremony.
Author Namita Gokhale, who is an advisor to the festival, said, “This festival welcomes all lovers of literature and lovers of the mountains. I am, of course, thrilled to be back in my beloved hometown. The sights, sounds and smells of Kumaon always stay with me.”
Since the Himalayas extend across South Asia, the festival would have felt incomplete without participation from neighbouring countries. Sujeev Shakya, who is the convener of the Himalayan Future Forum in Kathmandu, Nepal, spoke about the challenges that face humanity amidst climate change: “Development has turned into bulldozer terrorism. We have more concrete building, more roads, more cars. What is the cost that we are paying in the name of development? What are we doing to the Himalayas that we love so much?”

Rohini Rana, author, The Rana Cookbook: Recipes from the Palaces of Nepal and The Nepal Cookbook: 108 Regional Recipes, spoke about how she was able to combine her passion for cooking with her passion for writing though she never trained as a professional chef. When asked to speak about distinguishing features of Nepali cooking, she mentioned two ingredients in particular — timur (Sichuan pepper) and jimbu (dried garlic leaves). “Nepalis love them, and have them all the time. Even diasporic Nepalis in Western countries stock these because the taste and aroma transport them back to Nepal,” she said.
Pema Samdrup, senior instructor at the Royal Academy of Performing Arts in Bhutan, presented an endearing act along with his little daughter, Karma Sonam Demath, who won people’s hearts with her talent and charm. One of the folk songs was about training the mind in such a way that it becomes pure like milk and sharp like an arrow piercing its target. They also sang songs praising enlightened beings, local deities, and their kings and queens.
The thoughtful programming made the festival stand apart. Instead of crowding the itinerary with people who are permanent fixtures at such gatherings, there was an effort to bring in those who have something fresh to offer. Jennifer Nandi, a naturalist, trekker and tour guide who leads birding and safari trips as well as luxury cruises, was a big hit as she spoke about her book, No Half Measures, which revolves around her travel adventures.

In conversation with Emma Horne, who runs a travel company, Nandi said, “You cannot afford to be timid. You’ve got to be audacious. You have to create circumstances for your own merriment.” She followed the same philosophy while publishing this book. Having found no success with a traditional publisher, she went down the self-publishing route. “You don’t think I tried? They rejected me. One lady from a big publishing house sent me such a nasty mail that it made me feel like she was spitting on me. But I never give up,” she added.
Botanist S Natesh, author of Iconic Trees of India, spoke about a peepal tree in Dehradun that was saved by women who tied rakhis around it, a double palm tree at a botanical garden in Kolkata, and a giant sequoia near Jammu that seems lonely because it is imported from the Sierra Nevada mountains in the United States and has no kin in India and cannot reproduce either. “No two trees are alike. Trees speak to our hearts and souls. They are a bridge to the past because many of them live much longer than human beings do,” he said.
In a memorable session titled Ai Himala, Rakhshanda Jalil recited Urdu poems referring to the Himalayas written by poets such as Sahir Ludhianvi, Nazeer Banarasi, Gulzar, Pradeep, and Tasneem Abbas. “People tend to associate Gulzar with his film lyrics but his non-film oeuvre is remarkable. The mountain comes across as a living breathing person who is hurt by deforestation,” she said later inviting participants to sing Allama Iqbal’s well-known poem Saare Jahan Se Achchha Hindustan Hamaara with her as it has the lines “Godi mein khelti hai jiske hazaaro nadiyan.” Translating the poem from Urdu to English, Jalil said, “Here the mountain is seen as a loving avuncular presence, who allows rivers to play in his lap.”
Saurabh Kirpal, whose latest book is called Who is Equal? opened up about the daily discrimination that he has felt as a gay man despite being a senior advocate at the Supreme Court. “I come from a wealthy family, and am privileged in many ways, but that did not protect me from homophobia. Things have improved substantially in our country but my appointment as a judge at the Delhi High Court has been held up because of my sexuality,” he said. He was disappointed when the Supreme Court did not give a verdict in favour of marriage equality but he also believes in dialogue rather condemning people who think differently because “people want to listen to you only if they see you as a reasonable person.”

On a less serious note, Vikas Swarup whose novel Q&A was adapted into the film Slumdog Millionaire entertained the audience with recollections of entering Hollywood actor Jennifer Anniston’s make-up room by mistake when he went for the Academy Awards ceremony. “I was wearing a black bandh gala. She had a copy of my novel, and said — Oh you’re the man! I said Yes. We had a 10-minute conversation. She told me she loved India and was into yoga.” Swarup also mentioned that he wrote the book without visiting Dharavi, the place in Mumbai where it is set. His research helped him create an authentic and believable setting.
Some of the other notable speakers at the festival were Priya Kapoor (editorial director at Roli Books), Anju Khanna and Vijayluxmi Bose (who co-authored the book A Tapestry of Ecology, Culture and Food Traditions in Talla Ramgarh with Anjali Capila), Shekhar Pathak (founder of the People’s Association for Himalaya Area Research), Rudy Singh (founder-director of the Naini Photofest and former President of the Film and Arts Guild of Uttarakhand) naturalist Sumantha Ghosh (who runs the Vanghat eco-lodge at Corbett National Park), and Delhi High Court judge Anish Dayal (who has written a poetry book for children and started a children’s library in Jungalia Gaon, Bhimtal).
All panel discussions came to a close at 3pm so that participants could relax over a cup of tea and snacks, buy goodies from local bakers, shop for handicrafts and books, or enjoy the Kalchunya nature-inspired art corner set up by Kanika Raj Singh who paints, crochets and teaches yoga. Participants were also encouraged to go on short treks, head to Naini Lake for a boat ride, or visit the Church of St John in the Wilderness and the Nainadevi temple.

The evenings were reserved for music performances. On the first day, Sanjeeta Bhattacharya sang melodies in English, Spanish, Bengali, Urdu, Punjabi and Sindhi, at Naini Retreat, which offered a spectacular view of the Naini Lake under a star-studded night sky. It was also very cold, so people huddle around heaters and bonfires to keep themselves warm. The second day had a retro vibe with Ajay Bijli — Chairman and Managing Director of PVR Cinemas — and his music band Random Order singing Hindi and English classics.
The finale, which had people dancing away late into the night, was made even more delectable with Manoj Kandpal — the head chef at Hotel Sherwani —serving and talking passionately about local Kumaoni dishes such as malai gudwa, Bhatt ki churkani, pinal ki sabzi, palak ka kaapa, alu ke gutke, madua ki roti, badeel, til ki chatni, bhune tamatar ki chatni, Kumaoni raita, baingan raita, and jhingore ke kheer. The warm hospitality and attention to detail ensured that people went home with a satisfied belly and a full heart.
Chintan Girish Modi is a Mumbai-based journalist who writes about books, art and culture. He can be reached @chintanwriting on Instagram and X.
