‘Aakhar’ festival unites literature, music, & dance in two-day extravaganza

The first day of the program featured panel discussion sessions on music from rural Uttar Pradesh, Awadhi poetry, Awadhi folk literature, translated works, and Awadi contributions to Hindi cinema, among other topics.

LUCKNOW A two-day literary and cultural event titled ‘Aakhar: Bhasha ke Rang Sahitya ke Sang’ commenced with singing, dancing, and many academic discussions on Saturday in Gomti Nagar. This program is being hosted by the Prabha Khaitan Foundation, a non-profit organisation for socio-cultural awareness.

A musical ensemble from Ayodhya performed rural folk songs at the two-day literary and cultural festival ‘Aakhar,’ which began here on Saturday. (HT Photo)

The event was graced by deputy chief minister Brajesh Pathak, who lit the ceremonial lamp to inaugurate the program, which began in the morning and continued until late evening. Several eminent litterateurs from the city were in attendance to speak on regional languages and their contribution to Hindi.

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The first day of the program featured panel discussion sessions on music from rural Uttar Pradesh, Awadhi poetry, Awadhi folk literature, translated works, and Awadi contributions to Hindi cinema, among other topics. Most of the panel discussion sessions encouraged interaction, with the panellists ensuring audience participation in their statements as well.

A session that particularly intrigued the audience focused on the Awadhi language in Hindi cinema. ‘Newton’ actor Aatm Prakash Mishra, media writer Manoj Rajan Tripathy, and Kanak Rekha Chauhan, founder-director of Metaphor Lit Fest, discussed films like ‘Peepli Live,’ ‘Ganga Jamuna,’ ‘Gulabo Sitabo,’ and other audience favourites to highlight the Awadhi influence in films.

Another crowd-pleasing session explored the literary influence in and of Ayodhya and the stories of Ram, featuring poet Yatindra Mishra and social activist Madhuri Halwasiya. While reciting lines of poetry as examples, Mishra captivated the audience with his knowledge of the Awadhi, Bundeli, Urdu, and Punjabi influences in Ayodhya’s literary culture.

The day’s proceedings were interspersed with musical performances and poetry symposiums. A group from Ayodhya captivated the audience with rural and folk songs. Another engaging performance was an interactive Kathak dance and music presentation by a group from Ayodhya. The musicians played the mridangam and harmonium while the dancer stood before a microphone and engaged with the audience.