Marathi literature festival kicks off Friday

VADODARA: The three-day

Akhil Bhartiya Marathi Sahitya Sammelan

will kick off at D N Hall ground in

MS University

from Friday.

From established authors and actors to artists, literature lovers from all walks of life will participate in the

literature festival

.

Chief minister Vijay Rupani

and his Maharahastra counterpart Devendra Fadnavis will attend the festival on Friday and inaugurate a book containing speeches of

Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad III

on the first day. They will inaugurate the event on Friday evening and then a session of poetry will follow at 7.15 pm.

Organizers of the festival took out a rally from Laxmi Vilas Palace to Dandia Bazaar on Thursday evening. Scion of royal family, Samarjitsinh Gaekwad, his wife Radhikaraje Gaekwad and mother Shubhanginiraje Gaekwad too participated in the rally.

It was during the rule of Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad III that the city last hosted its last grand Marathi literature festival. After 84 long years, Barodians will again savour the literature treat. The sammelan was first organized in the city in 1909 and then held again in 1924 and 1934. Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad III, an admirer of literature, used to encourage such events in the Baroda state. The city will be, however, hosting this sammelan for the first time after independence.

From poets like Neerja and Marathi actress, Rohini Hattangadi to advertisement guru Bharat Dabholkar and advocate Ujjwal Nikam will speak at the festival. Nearly 130 people from different fields will address the audiences.

Nearly 500 students from colleges and universities of Gujarat and Maharashtra will be participating in this festival.