The Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur (IITK), under the joint aegis of Rajbhasha Prakoshtha (Hindi Cell), Shivani Centre for the Nurture and Re-Integration of Hindi and Other Indian Languages, and Hindi Sahitya Sabha, in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Government of Uttar Pradesh, and the renowned audio platform Gaatha, organized the literature festival 'Gaatha Mahotsav 2024' at IIT Kanpur's Outreach Auditorium on July 21, 2024. This festival marked the successful completion of five years of Gaatha and to celebrate literature in its various forms.

The festival featured a total of eight sessions, each focusing on different aspects of literature and culture. The inaugural session was graced by Prof. Manindra Agrawal, Director of IIT Kanpur; and Shri. Amit Gupta, Divisional Commissioner, Kanpur. The first session had a discussion on the tourist spots of Uttar Pradesh, led by Dr. Pradeep Dixit, with contributions from Mr. Sanjay Sepherd, Mr. M.K. Pandey, and Mr. Satyarth Anirudh Pankaj, DIG of Lucknow Zone.

Second session had a detailed discussion on the Hindi poetic genre 'Navgeet' featuring Mr. Ram Sanehi Lal Sharma, Mr. Virendra Astik, Mr. Raja Awasthi, moderated by renowned litterateur and critic Mr. Rakesh Shukla. The third session brought together prominent young writers Mr. Bhagwant Anmol and Ms. Aakanksha Pare with Kahakashan Foundation founder Mr. Anand Kakkar to discuss young literature.

The fourth session provided a platform for young talents through an open mic, moderated by Ms. Pallavi Garg. In the fifth session, the renowned actor Mr. Rajendra Gupta was in conversation with famous poet Dr. Bhavana Tiwari, followed by a story reading session. 

The sixth session was dedicated to the renowned music composer Madan Mohan, featuring presentations by Ms. Archana Chauhan from All India Radio and Sa Re Ga Ma Pa winner Gopal Sharma. The seventh session featured actor Ashok Pathak, known for his role as Binod in the popular web series 'Panchayat', discussing his life journey and struggles.

The final session of the festival was a poetry conference, with well-known poets Dr. Vishnu Saxena, Mr. Ajay Anjaam, Mr. Rahul Sharma, Mr. Yogesh Shukla, Mr. Alok Bejan, and Dr. Bhavana Tiwari captivating the audience with their poetic expressions. 
 

For more information, please visit www.gaathamahotsav.com.