Patna: The city of Patna played host to the Nalanda Literature Festival 2025 on Sunday, a one-day celebration of India’s literary and cultural heritage organised by the Amatya Foundation at the Chandragupta Institute of Management, Patna (CIMP). The festival, centred on the theme “Rebuilding Vishwaguru Bharat—From Ancient Heritage to Modern Lessons,” attracted participants from over 100 universities and educational institutions across India, both in person and online.
The event opened with an inaugural session, “The Voice of Nalanda,” in which Vaishali Seta, curator and cultural researcher of the Nalanda International Literature Festival, outlined the programme. The atmosphere was soon enlivened by a performance from Baba Kutani, a Himalayan artist and India’s first handpan player, whose spiritual compositions set the tone for the day. The festival’s theme and logo were then formally unveiled.
The first panel, “Dinkar 2.0 — Nation, Religion, and the Digital Age,” explored the relevance of national poet Ramdhari Singh Dinkar’s writings for contemporary India. The discussion, which included Dinkar’s grandson Ritwik Udayan, CIMP Director Prof. (Dr.) Rana Singh, and author Ratneshwar Singh, examined how the poet’s reflections on courage, duty, nationalism, and patience resonate with younger generations navigating a rapidly digital world.
A subsequent session, “Literature in Cinema and Theatre,” brought together screenwriter Shubhrashta and filmmaker Shantanu Gupta to discuss the adaptation of literary works into visual narratives. The panel explored how storytelling evolves across acting, direction, and theatrical craft.
A debate on “Is Artificial Intelligence the New Saraswati or a Challenge to Creativity?” saw teams from leading universities grapple with the implications of AI for literature and creativity. Moderated by Prof. (Dr.) Rana Singh, the session concluded with the presentation of the Nalanda Youth Orator Award to the best speaker, selected by a jury of writers, academics, and media experts.
In the third session, “Myth, Mind, and Modernity,” popular author Ami Ganatra reflected on the continued relevance of the Mahabharata, Ramayana, and Indian philosophy in shaping moral reasoning and self-reflection in today’s technologically advanced society. Senior journalist Pawan Kumar moderated the discussion.
The festival concluded with a session on “Women’s Perspective in Literature,” moderated by senior IPS officer Vikas Vaibhav. Panellists Shantheri, Madhavi Kunte, and author Ratneshwar discussed feminist sensibilities, emotional depth, cultural perspectives, and the role of women in modern storytelling.
The organisers announced that the next Nalanda International Literature Festival will be held at Nalanda University from February 12–15, 2026.
