The 2023 edition of Akshar celebrates the 100th birth anniversary of the distinguished Hindi novelist, Shivani.
IIT Kanpur’s three-day literature festival, Akshar 2023, kicked off on October 15 with its second edition.
As per an official statement from IIT Kanpur, this festival was a collaborative effort involving the Shivani Centre for Hindi and Indian Languages, the Rajbhasha Prakoshth, the APPROACH Cell of IIT Kanpur, the Hindi Sahitya Sabha, a student organization, and Gaatha, a company incubated at SIIC IIT Kanpur.
The Shivani Centre, as per IIT Kanpur, strives to foster linguistic creativity, instill pride and self-assurance in using Hindi and other Indian languages. It envisions organizing various activities such as events, workshops, and book fairs to highlight the cultural richness of these languages.
Established by Muktesh Pant, who earned his B.Tech. in Chemical Engineering from IIT Kanpur in 1976, the center received funding from the ‘Micky and Vinita Charitable Foundation’ in memory of his late mother, Smt. Gaura Pant, renowned by her pen name ‘Shivani.’ Shivani was one of the prominent Hindi writers of the 20th century. This year’s second edition of Akshar – 2023 commemorates her centenary, as mentioned in the press release.
“Akshar reflects our commitment to nurturing linguistic creativity and instilling a sense of pride and self-assurance in the use of Hindi and other Indian languages. We take great pride in commemorating the 100th birth anniversary of the esteemed Hindi novelist, Shivani ji, and eagerly anticipate three days of celebrating literature, art, culture, and heritage with the participation of prominent literary and academic figures from across the nation. This year’s Akshar promises a diverse tapestry of literary genres, music, thought-provoking discussions, and a wide array of performances, ensuring it to be an event that will inspire and engage our campus community,” expressed Prof. Kantesh Balani, Coordinator of the Shivani Centre and Dean of Resources and Alumni at IIT Kanpur, according to the press release.
