The last weekend of February saw a different literary festival in New Delhi. The 98^th Akhil Bhartiya Marathi Sahitya Sammelan was held in the capital after 1954.  The first Marathi Sahitya Sammelan was held in Pune in 1878 under the chairmanship of Justice M G Ranade under the banner of Marathi Granthakar Sabha. The event has a long and illustrious history, and this edition was special as it was preceded by Marathi being accorded the status of a classical language. This year it was inaugurated by the Prime Minister.

Organized in Talkatora Stadium, in the heart of New Delhi, the Sammelan venue was dressed up like a colourful and vibrant mela. Bustling with people, carrying books, checking out books, while thronging the market place of books “granth nagri” set up there. The Sammelan begins with a rath yatra of books, which essentially includes the works of Sant Dnyaneshwar and Sant Tukaram. This year, the yatra moved from Gurudwara Rakab Ganj to the venue.

As I walked around and absorbed the atmosphere, what struck me was the passion and veneration for the written word that was enveloping everyone around. For me, an English language writer and a non-Marathi person there was a sense of shock and awe. All around us we see the written word getting beleaguered and losing out to the online word. But in the Sammelan, where nearly three thousand people had come from Maharashtra, the love and veneration for books was palpable.

The session I had been invited for was a freewheeling discussion on ‘the non-marathi world of marathi people’. Four couples were on the stage, where one spouse was Marathi and the other non-Marathi. I sat on stage with my Marathi spouse and watched the audience. The hall was full; people were standing and holding up the tent cloth to be part of the session.

The session was light hearted, but also poignant. The anchors took us down memory lane to the time when we started out as partners, encountering different cultures and traditions, and of course language. One of the participants even started crying as she recalled her journey of joy and understanding. As I recalled my first encounters with my Marathi in-laws and spoke about my experience, I realized that the differences had enriched me and help me grow as a person. It was somewhat overwhelming sitting there. As the session ended I think apart from us, the audience too realized that differences in cultures and traditions enhance life’s experience, and the binding force is the river of Indianness that flows amongst all of us. 

During the festival, there were nearly 100 book releases, poetry recitals, discussions and idea exchange about Marathi literature and culture. There was a hall dedicated as a ‘Kavi Katta’, where any person could come and recite a poem. This was apart from the invited forty poets – a continuous open mic for poets that was running throughout! Invitees and aspiring writers all were given a platform. The Sammelan celebrated language, books and the rich tradition of being an Indian.

Published in Lokmat Times on 17 March 2025