Kathmandu: The 2nd Kathmandu Kalinga Literary Festival (KLF) concluded on September 3 in Kathmandu, Nepal, marking a successful gathering of renowned literary figures, intellectuals, and artists from across South Asia.
Attending the inaugural ceremony on September 1, the Foreign Minister of Nepal, NP Saud expressed his optimism that the festival would play a pivotal role in fostering cultural exchanges within South Asia.
He emphasized the importance of connecting the cultures of Varanasi with Kathmandu, Janakpur with Ayodhya, and Biratnagar with Hastinapur, highlighting the deep-rooted cultural and linguistic connections between Nepal and India, particularly through the Sanskrit language. He stated, “We will be incomplete if we cannot connect the culture of Varanasi with Kathmandu, Janakpur with Ayodhya, and Biratnagar with Hastinapur. It is because we (Nepal and India) are connected with each other in terms of culture and language. Our similarity is Sanskrit language.”
The festival witnessed the presence of artists and litterateurs from Nepal, India, Bhutan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka.
During the inaugural ceremony, the Yashaswi Sahitya Sanman was conferred upon legendary Nepalese writer Dr. Madhav Prasad Pokhrel, Indian writer Prof. Awadhesh Pradhan, and actress-writer Divya Dutta.
Over 400 writers from Nepal, India, Bhutan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka participated in various sessions and discussions throughout the three-day program.
The event featured a total of 60 sessions simultaneously held in two halls of Hotel Himalaya. Ranjana Niraula, the director of Surya Nepal Kathmandu Kalinga Literary Festival, expressed her gratitude to all those who contributed to the successful organization of the festival. Rashmi Ranjan Parida, the founder of Kalinga Literary Festival, highlighted the festival’s mission to strengthen civilizational, cultural, and spiritual dialogues while celebrating Nepal’s role as a center of global thought and South Asian dialogue.
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