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Tara Bhawalkar elected as president of 98th Akhil Bharatiya Marathi Sahitya Sammelan
Bhawalkar was elected president at a two-day meeting held in Pune on October 5 and 6 to chalk out the details of the sammelan
Writer and folk culture researcher, Tara Bhawalkar, has been unanimously elected as the president of the upcoming 98th Akhil Bharatiya Marathi Sahitya Sammelan (literary festival) slated to be held from February 21 to 23, 2025, at Talkatora Stadium, Delhi.
Bhawalkar was elected president at a two-day meeting held in Pune on October 5 and 6 to chalk out the details of the sammelan. The meeting was organised by the Akhil Bharatiya Marathi Sahitya Mahamandal (All India Marathi Literary Council) and saw participation from the members of the council. The election of the president is one of the most anticipated outcomes of this meeting, and the literary community was keen on knowing who would preside over the upcoming sammelan in the national capital.
At a press conference held on October 6, Usha Tambe, president, Akhil Bharatiya Marathi Sahitya Mahamandal, announced, “The event, to be held in the nation’s capital, holds special significance as it will be the first ‘Classical Marathi literary conference’ following the central government’s recent decision to grant Marathi the status of a classical language. Also, the sammelan will be held in Delhi after 70 years. Earlier, it was organised in the national capital in 1954.”
“As we are organising the 98th sammelan in 2025, Tara Bhawalkar will be the sixth woman president of this event. Earlier, poet Aruna Dhere was elected as president in 2019. Bhawalkar’s selection was based on the criteria of seniority, her contribution to Marathi literature, and the research work she has carried out in folk culture,” Tambe said.
Apart from Bhawalkar, there were quite a few contenders for the position of president of the 98th Akhil Bharatiya Marathi Sahitya Sammelan namely novelist Vishwas Patil, litterateur Baba Bhand, social worker Abhay Bang, former administrative officer Dnyaneshwar Mule, and former journalist and writer Vinay Hardikar.
Sarhad, an NGO (non-governmental organisation), will host the sammelan in Delhi. Nearly 100 stalls will be set up during the event. Nine topics have been finalised for discussion apart from two poetry gatherings that will be held during the sammelan.
Tambe said, “Since the event will be hosted in Delhi this year, we have avoided critical topics for the talks. We are also trying to include a multilingual programme so that people from different language backgrounds can also enjoy the sammelan.”
Expressing her gratitude at being elected the president, Bhawalkar said, “I am grateful that the council gave me the opportunity to be president of this prestigious sammelan for Marathi literature and language.’’
Bhawalkar, 85, has made significant contribution to Marathi literature. She has written various plays, books, and research articles. Bhawalkar has presided over nine different sammelans apart from holding important positions in various organisations working for the cause of Marathi literature. She is also a recipient of numerous prestigious awards.
