Karnataka’s Coast Gears Up For Second Edition Of Mangaluru Lit Fest

उदारचरितानां तु वसुधैव कुटुम्बकम् ॥

Udaara charitaanaam tu vasudhaiva kutumbakam

This mantra defined ‘Glocal’ millenia before the term could be coined. And for a town like Mangaluru which being on the coast has always been a mini cosmopolitan melting pot of culture, hosting, boosting and accomodating a myriad of cultures, this mantra defines its very fabric.

And it is with this thought that the Mangaluru Lit Fest came to be - a celebration of and a deliberation on ‘The Idea of Bharat’.

And in ten days from now, the city will host the second edition of the festival, titled ‘The Idea of Bharat - Today and Tomorrow’. And the weekend affair has been curated to host the best of minds from across the globe as well as natives whose work and vision has redefined the ‘Idea of Bharat’.

Inaugurated by Jnanapeeta awardee, poet and folklorist Dr Chandrashekara Kambara, the festival will also celebrate local art, culture, folk music and regional language literature.

Additionally, the venue decor has been designed by local artists showcasing local kavi art on ecofriendly medium like paper and fabric in a bid to say not to plastic banners and flexes in the venue.

Organised by Mangaluru Literary Foundation, in association with Kannada and Culture Department, the Lit Fest this year will present the Lifetime Achievement Award to renowned researcher, author and historian Dr M Chidananda Murthy. The maiden edition presented this award to novelist S L Bhyrappa, who right then handed over the award cheque to Shri Rama School of Kalladka, which had made news after being denied funds from Kollur temple by the previous government.

Where: TMA Pai International Convention Centre, Mangaluru

When: November 29 and 30

Who: Over 60 thinkers and finest literary minds from across the globe.

The speakers at the two day thought fest include Rajya Sabha Member of Parliament Rajeev Chandrashekar, Union minister of state for finance and corporate affairs Anurag Thakur, BJP general secretary B L Santosh, ANI editor-in-chief Smita Prakash, journalist and author Barkha Dutt, strategic affairs expert Gen G D Bakshi (retd), Goa Chronicle editor-in-chief Savio Rodrigues, Rajasthan Additional Chief secretary Sanjay Dixit, Swarajya Editorial Director R Jagannathan, Padmashri awardee Archeologist and former regional director ASI Dr Muhammed K K, South Bengaluru MP Tejasvi Surya, filmmaker T S Nagabharana, Author and journalist Shiv Aroor, author Maria Wirth, author, scientist (IISC) and former Member of Inter Govt panel on Climate Change and UN framework convention on Climate Change Prof N H Ravindranath , author and President of Karnataka Sahitya Academy B V Vasanth Kumar among others.