Fourth World Marathi Conference begins today

Nashik: The fourth edition of Jagati Marathi Sammelan (World Marathi Conference) is being organised in Nashik from Friday at MVP Samaj's KTHM College with the aim of spreading Marathi language, literature and culture on a global scale. The three-day festival organised by the Marathi Language Department will be inaugurated by chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on the birth annivesary of renowned Marathi poet and Dnyanpeeth Awardee Kusumagraj alias V Wa Shirwadkar. The day is also celebrated as Marathi Bhasha Gaurav Din. Deputy chief ministers Eknath Shinde and Sunetra Pawar will be the chief guests, while cabinet minister Chhagan Bhujbal, Dadaji Bhuse, Marathi language minister Uday Samant and mayor Himgauri Adke will be the special guests. Along with them, many renowned litterateurs, writers, poets, researchers, artists, entrepreneurs and Marathi language lovers will participate in the conference in large numbers. On the occasion of the inauguration of the conference, Bhalchandra Nemade will be honored with the Sahitya Bhushan Award, Srinivas Vinayak Kulkarni with the Vin. Da. Karandikar Lifetime Achievement Award, and Shantibrahm, Guruvarya Maruti Baba Kurekar with a special award. Through this conference, special emphasis will be placed on preserving the Marathi language, instilling pride in the language in the new generation, and increasing use of Marathi in the era of modern technology. The main objective of the conference is to bring together the Marathi brothers scattered around the world and set a direction for the all-round development of Marathi.Seminars, lectures, poetry readings, cultural programmes, book exhibitions and workshops will be organised on various topics during the conference. The glory of Marathi literature, drama, films, folk art and folk tradition will be highlighted through these means. Also, by interacting with Marathi institutions abroad, there will be a brainstorming session regarding the digital future of Marathi and bringing Marathi literature to the world through translation.In the backdrop of the conference, Nashik hosted Marathi Bolincha Mahotsav, a festival of dialects at Kalidas Kalamandir inaugurated by veteran writer Madhu Mangesh Karnik, who is also the former president of Maharashtra State Literature and Culture Board. "Maharashtra is a state that gives importance to literature, art and music. For thousands of years, dialects have been rooted in the soil of Maharashtra. If dialects are given importance, Marathi language will prosper," said Karnik, lauding the festival started by the state govt.