District’s writers, poets and scholars showcase rich literary heritage during three-day Raipur Sahitya Utsav
Published on: January 29, 2026
By: BTNI
Location: Rajnandgaon, India
Rajnandgaon district made a remarkable presence at the three-day Raipur Literature Festival organised jointly by the Public Relations Department and Chhattisgarh Sahitya Akademi in the vibrant ambience of Purkhouti Muktangan, Atal Nagar, Naya Raipur, from January 23 to 25.
While renowned authors, litterateurs, poets and cultural thinkers engaged in thought-provoking discussions under large pandals on diverse themes, the festival also featured Chhattisgarh folk culture, book exhibitions, open mic sessions and traditional food stalls, drawing large crowds. Writers from “Sanskar Dhani” Rajnandgaon not only enjoyed the festival but also proudly represented the district’s creative legacy.
A major attraction of the event was a grand tableau based on Rajnandgaon’s literary heritage, centred on the Mukti Bodh Memorial and Museum at Triveni Complex. Designed by the Public Relations Department, the installation—shaped like a giant book—served as a welcome point at the entrance, inspiring thousands of visitors with visuals and information about Rajnandgaon’s rich contribution to Hindi literature.
Rajnandgaon in Focus on Opening Day
On the first day, eminent historian and litterateur Dr Chandrashekhar Sharma from Rajnandgaon delivered a keynote address in an important session titled “Chhattisgarh ke Nakshatra in the Galaxy of Hindi Literature” at the Shyam Lal Chaturvedi Pandal. He also played the role of session moderator.
The panel featured storyteller Dr Sarla Sharma, poet Manik Vishwakarma, critic Dr Maniketan Pradhan and metre expert Arun Kumar Nigam. Dr Sharma elaborated on Rajnandgaon’s unique literary legacy, describing it as a “Triveni” of three major streams of Hindi literature associated with Padumlal Punnalal Bakshi, Gajanan Madhav Muktibodh and Dr Baldev Prasad Mishra.
He noted that Muktibodh produced some of his finest creative works in Rajnandgaon due to the conducive literary environment. Dr Sharma also highlighted Chhattisgarh’s broader contribution to Hindi literature, recalling that Bilaspur’s Lochan Prasad Pandey pioneered Chhayavad, while Madhavrao Sapre drew inspiration from this region to write Hindi’s first short story.
Poetry Session on Second Day
On the second day, invited poets from Rajnandgaon captivated audiences with a lively poetry recital at the Surjeet Navdeep Mandap. The session was curated and conducted by Dr Chandrashekhar Sharma. Nearly a dozen poets from Rajnandgaon recited their works, earning warm appreciation from listeners.
Also read- https://www.btnewsindia.com/prominent-rajnandgaon-citizen-shri-ramkrishna-tiwari-passes-away-at-89/ https://www.btnewsindia.com/collector-and-sp-present-chhattisgarh-themed-books-to-union-minister-shivraj-singh-chouhan/
Poets who presented included Dr Shankar Muni Rai, Abdussalam Kausar, Prabhat Tiwari, Shatrughan Singh Rajput, Neelam Tiwari, Virendra Kumar Tiwari “Veeru”, Anurag Saxena, Omprakash Sahu “Ankur”, Mahendra Kumar Baghel “Madhu”, Raj Kumar Chaudhary “Rauna”, Dr Iqbal Khan, D.R. Sinha and Fakir Sahu, among others.
Several literary enthusiasts from Rajnandgaon, including Akhilesh Tiwari, Dr Praveen Sao, Sachin Nishad, Jitendra Kumar Patel, Fakir Prasad Sahu “Fakkad”, Hemlal Sahare, Lakhan Lal Kalame, Jaswant Mandavi, Chanchal Sahu and Leeladhar Sinha, were also present.
On the third day, writers such as Atmaram Kosa, Akhilesh Mishra, Main Singh Maulik and Prabhas Gupta continued the district’s active participation.
Expressing happiness over Rajnandgaon’s strong representation, Chhattisgarh Sahitya Akademi Chairman Shashank Sharma thanked all participants for contributing to the success of the festival.
