Thousands flock to Srinagar's Chinar Book Festival despite summer heat

Srinagar's Sher-i-Kashmir International Conference Centre buzzed with activity as the third Chinar Book Festival, Jammu and Kashmir's largest literary celebration, opened its doors on Saturday. Thousands of readers, students, educators, writers, and artists are expected to attend the nine-day event, held against the scenic backdrop of Dal Lake.

Inaugurating the festival, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha highlighted the crucial role of books in shaping the region's youth. He called for a sustained reading movement, stating, "Just as a lamp dispels darkness and a rose spreads fragrance, books illuminate minds and enrich lives." Sinha also emphasized the Chinar tree's symbolism for Kashmir, representing patience, resilience, and continuity, and urged collective responsibility to strengthen India as a hub for knowledge and literature.

The festival, organized by the National Book Trust in collaboration with the district administration Srinagar and the National Council for Promotion of Urdu Language, showcases over 200 publishers and booksellers. They are displaying a wide array of titles in English, Urdu, Kashmiri, Hindi, and other Indian languages. Despite unusual summer heat in the valley, hundreds braved the weather to attend the inaugural day, creating an atmosphere of community celebration. The event aims to foster intellectual growth and empower the region's youth through literature and knowledge.

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I congratulate the National Book Trust, its entire team and everyone associated with organising this festival for striving to provide our youth with a future shaped by books and knowledge, and for transforming it into a vibrant intellectual movement. Just as a lamp dispels darkness and a rose spreads fragrance, books illuminate minds and enrich lives. The Chinar is not merely a tree for Kashmir-it symbolises patience, resilience and continuity. It is our collective responsibility to strengthen India as a centre of knowledge, education, literature and youth empowerment, and the Chinar Book Festival is making a significant contribution towards that goal.