Literary Festival to Propagate the Legacy of Pragjyotishpur
By
Nava Thakuria, New Age Islam
22
September 2023
An
intellectual and interactive treat for the literary enthusiasts, cultural
connoisseurs and budding writers is waiting to emerge as Pragjyotishpur
Literature Festival 2023 (PLF) which will unfold a series of literary
activities for three days in the virtual capital of northeast India. The three-day
literature festival, organised for the first time by Sankardev Education and
Research Foundation (SERF), will kick start on 29 September at Asom Sahitya
Sabha and district library premises in the heart of Guwahati city. Themed as
‘In Search of Roots’, the national-level festival is aimed at showcasing the
rich cultural heritage of the land and also encouraging the young talents to
rediscover and redefine the legends of Pragjyotishpur.
The
present-day Assam is the central part of the ancient kingdom named
Pragjyotishpur (later also known as Kamrup), where its capital was located
roughly in the present day Guwahati. The kingdom was spread to Jalpaiguri, Koch
Behar, Bhutan hills (including some parts of Nepal), Rangpur, Sylhet,
Mymensingh, Dhaka (now under Bangladesh), Tripura, Khasi & Garo hills, etc.
Pragjyotishpur (meaning the eastern part of Jyotishpur) gets its mention in
both the great Indian epics Ramayana and Mahabharata as well as in Kalika
Puran, Yogini Tantra and Charyapada.
Pragjyotishpur
was pronounced by Lord Ram in the critical phase of his struggles after losing
his wife Seeta. On the other hand, the powerful king of Pragjyotishpur,
Bhagadatta fought along with the Kauravas (against Pandavas) in the battle of
Mahabharata. When it came to exist as the Kamrup kingdom, legendary king Kumar
Bhaskarvarman used to rule over the land. Bhaskarvarman enjoyed a dignified and
mutually respected relationship with emperor Harshavardhan (of Kanauja and
Thaneswara) and often sent valuable books as gifts to Harshavardhan. He was a
vibrant patroniser of ancient Nalanda University, one of the greatest centres
of learning across the globe.
Pragjyotishpur
itself was an abode of learning, publications and intellectual exercises as
these were the oldest traditions and practices for the residents. Many valuable
books were written in this part of the world, where Madhav Kandali’s Ramayana
in a local language signifies the dimension and intellectual capacity of an
author. The society used to promote the learning and redefining of general
science, Ayurveda and traditional healthcare, Astrology, craftsmanship and both
performing & visual arts. The residents still carry the legacy of ancient
Indian culture, developed since the pre- historic days.
Through the
PLF initiative, the young generation will come to know and realise the
greatness of ancient cultural diversities of the land. With the series of
discussions, interactive sessions, thematic quiz competition and literary
recitations, the unique festival is expected to mobilize the young writers to
connect with their roots of civilization through literature. National Book
Trust-India chairman Prof Milind Sudhakar Marathe (a recognised author-critic),
Padmashree Lil Bahadur Chetri (a noted Gorkha writer), Pankaj Chaturvedi
(Delhi), Suvash Chandra Satapathy from Bhubaneshwar, Bhushan Bhave from Goa,
television news personality Rubika Liyaquat along with a number of
distinguished writers, translators, literary critics from various parts of the
country as well as northeast Bharat are gracing the occasion to add more colour
to the festival.
Meanwhile,
pre-events to the festival were organised in Dhubri Bholanath College,
Dibrugarh H Surajmall Kanoi College, Dhemaji Balika Bidyalaya, North Lakhimpur
College etc with great enthusiasm from hundreds of novice writers,
book-enthusiasts and promising young talents. Inspired by PLF working president
Soumyadeep Datta, a few more such literary awareness programs are on the card,
where the ancient civilisations of the great nation will be celebrated. PLF
president Phanindra Devchoudhury expects a fruitful exercise showcasing eastern
India’s rich history, culture and languages, where the literary activists will
brainstorm to rediscover their own past and pave the way for a futuristic and
purposeful literary works.
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Nava Thakuria is a northeast India-based
professional journalist who is an engineering graduate.
URL: https://newageislam.com/spiritual-meditations/literary-festival-propagate-pragjyotishpur/d/130731
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