The third edition of the Chinar Book Festival concluded on Sunday after drawing thousands of visitors to the Sher-i-Kashmir International Conference Centre (SKICC), Srinagar, over nine days, reaffirming its status as Kashmir’s largest literary and cultural festival.
Organised by the National Book Trust (NBT), India, under the Ministry of Education, in collaboration with the District Administration Srinagar and the National Council for Promotion of Urdu Language (NCPUL), the festival witnessed an estimated daily footfall of 57,000 to 73,000 on weekdays, which crossed one lakh on weekends.
More than 200 publishers, over 800 authors and artists, and thousands of students, readers and families participated in the festival, held under the theme “Together We Read, Together We Lead” (Mil Kar Padhenge, Mil Kar Badhenge).
The festival, inaugurated on July 18 by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, featured the release of 24 bilingual Gojri titles, five novels under the Rajtarangini Samvad initiative, and the Urdu translation of Jammu Kashmir & Ladakh Through the Ages.
Among the major attractions were interactive sessions with Indian astronaut Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, veteran actor Rakesh Bedi and filmmaker Imtiaz Ali, who shared insights into space exploration, creative arts and storytelling. The festival also hosted discussions on cinema, theatre and literature, an Innovators’ Meet showcasing student startups and patented technologies, and special sessions highlighting the contributions of Kashmiri women in various fields.
The Children’s Corner remained a major draw with storytelling sessions, puppet shows, calligraphy, craft workshops and digital library activities, while cultural evenings featured Rouf dance, folk theatre, Sufiyana performances, Mushairas and music by local artists.
The concluding day, coinciding with Kargil Vijay Diwas, featured the play Markar Jeena by playwright Rakesh Roshan Bhatt, paying tribute to the courage and sacrifice of Indian soldiers.
NBT Chairman Prof. Milind Sudhakar Marathe said the festival reflected the vision of the National Education Policy 2020 by promoting reading beyond classrooms.
NBT Director Yuvraj Malik described the Chinar Book Festival as a brand ambassador of Kashmir’s literary heritage and an important contributor to literary tourism.
Chief Convenor Amit Wanchoo said the overwhelming public response from across Jammu and Kashmir had exceeded expectations, with thousands engaging in literary discussions, workshops, cultural performances and interactions with leading writers, artists and innovators.
