Mumbai | 4 August | Gurudatt Wakdekar
(Marathi Kavi Sammelan) Marking the occasion of World Friendship Day, the 31st Marathi Kavi Sammelan (Marathi Poetry Conference), organised by the Marathi Sahitya va Kala Seva Sanstha, was held with great enthusiasm at Raja Shivaji Vidyalaya of the Indian Education Society in Dadar (East), Mumbai. The event brought together poets, writers and literature enthusiasts, celebrating literature, friendship, social harmony and the preservation of cultural heritage.
(Marathi Kavi Sammelan) At the beginning of the programme, the participating writers, poets and literature lovers celebrated World Friendship Day by tying a ‘thread of friendship’ around each other’s wrists. This was followed by three separate literary sessions featuring original poetry on open themes, a literary tribute to Lokshahir Annabhau Sathe, and readings from the works of Acharya Pralhad Keshav Atre, offering the audience a rich literary experience.
The Marathi Sahitya va Kala Seva Sanstha is currently in its eleventh year and has been consistently conducting various initiatives in the fields of Marathi literature, poetry and the arts for over a decade. The 31st Kavi Sammelan was organised with the objective of providing an equal platform to both emerging and established writers. Special literary sessions were also held to mark the birth anniversaries of Lokshahir Annabhau Sathe and Acharya Pralhad Keshav Atre.
On the occasion, child poet Ajaya, along with Aditi Ajit Nairale, Ashok Sahadev Sukale, Kalpana Balaji Ubale, Kalpana Mhapuskar, Krupa Rakesh Mhatre, Dr. Mansi Patil, Pratibha Navghare, Priya Pramod Damle, Meera Vaidya, Vivek Vasant Joshi, Saroj Suresh Gajare, Manohar Walimbe and Gurudatt Dinkar Wakdekar, presented their original poems and received an enthusiastic response from the audience. The literary readings of Acharya Atre’s works were also warmly appreciated by the attendees.
Rakesh Mhatre conducted the appreciation and proceedings of the literary session, while Dr. Mansi Patil served as the host. The refreshments were arranged by Rakesh Mhatre, Krupa Rakesh Mhatre and Aditi Ajit Nairale. Ashok Sahadev Sukale, Rakesh Mhatre, Vivek Vasant Joshi and Manohar Walimbe provided special support for the successful organisation of the event.
Held under the guidance of Gurudatt Dinkar Wakdekar, founder and president of the Marathi Sahitya va Kala Seva Sanstha, the programme conveyed a strong message of literature, friendship, dialogue and social harmony. The organisation also announced that its next poetry conference will be held on 6 September.