The 4th Parichaya International Literary Festival, held at the iconic Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra Odissi Dance Akademi

The 4th Parichaya International Literary Festival, held at the iconic Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra Odissi Dance Akademi, Bhubaneswar, unfolded with grandeur, depth, and a vibrant confluence of literary minds. The festival was graced by the august presence of Honourable Speaker Smt. Surama Padhi, whose inspiring presence elevated the spirit of the occasion. The inaugural session was formally opened by the former Secretary of the Kendriya Sahitya Akademi, marking a significant beginning to the day’s proceedings. The event was enriched by Chief Guest Dr. Prafulla Kumar Mohanty, Kendriya Sahitya Akademi Awardee, and Guest of Honour Anis Uz Zaman, the national poet of Assam. Adding scholarly depth, Chief Adviser Dr. Phani Mohanty, also a Kendriya Sahitya Akademi Awardee, and Smt. Bhagyalipi Malla, Superintendent of the State Museum, graced the dais with their esteemed presence.

A major highlight of the festival was the panel discussion on “Globalization and Literature: Crossing the Borders”, moderated by Prof. Dr. Kamala Prasad Mahapatra, eminent Odia critic. The distinguished panel consisted of Dr. P. Ramakrishna (Telugu), Jitendra Narayan Dash (Odia), Madhumitha (Tamil), Debaprasad Talukdar (Assamese), Mamata Dash (Odia), Girima Gharekhan (Gujarati), Neerja (Marathi), Sutapa Saha (Bangla), Dr. Santosh Kumar Nayak (Odia), and Dr. Debanjan Pan (Bangla), who collectively brought a mosaic of linguistic and cultural perspectives to the discourse.

The day further blossomed with a magnificent Multilingual Poetry Session, where poets from 28 languages recited their works, celebrating India’s unparalleled linguistic diversity. The session was conducted by Former President Dr. Hrushikesh Mallik and eminent poet T. Rajeswari, whose stewardship made it a memorable poetic confluence. The programme was seamlessly compered by Dr. Sonali Sahu, Paramita Sarangi, and Dr. Sanghamitra Raiguru, whose graceful anchoring brought coherence and charm to the event.