By Kulbhushan Kain
Henry Miller, the great American novelist, short story writer and essayist had written, “Develop an interest in life as you see it; the people, things, literature, music. The world is so rich, simply throbbing with rich treasures, beautiful souls, and interesting people. Forget yourself.”
In a world where people have no time to think and stare or even get a dose of a few hours of uninterrupted sleep, the words of Henry Miller are not only wise, but a veiled warning to the world which seems to be hurtling towards a soulless living.
But, in some pockets, the world has thankfully, responded – albeit in small measure. One of the ways to absorb the beauty of life away from its materialism, quest for power, tensions, sleepless nights, is through Literature Festivals.
The Literature Festival came rather late to Dehradun, which is quite surprising. The Dehradun Valley is naturally endowed for it to have been the first city in the world to have hosted it – and that too, many years ago. It is blessed to be nestled among the mighty Himalayas, the beautiful Shivalik Hills, thick forests and flanked by two of India’s most revered rivers – the Ganga and the Yamuna. The socio-political condition is largely peaceful – there were few wars. Add to it the fact that Dehradun has always been seen as the capital of schools in India. One would have imagined that it would have been a breeding ground for literary and artistic activity. It has been! Dehradun and Mussoorie have perhaps the most writers per square mile in the world.
The only thing that was lacking was a structured event to bring everyone under one roof. This task fell on the broad shoulders of Sanjeev Chopra whose passion in chasing a dream is unmatched. In a recent meeting with him at his beautiful home I remarked, “Sanjeev, you remind me of Einstein. You are a bureaucrat, a historian, a novelist, a columnist, a lover of dance and music in the totality of life. Just like Einstein who wrote poetry, philosophy and was the greatest physicist.” Being a modest man, he just dismissed my compliment very emphatically! But the vision of a “total” Literature Festival was driven by his all-encompassing mind. He launched, in 2017, the Valley of Words (VoW), a free-to-attend literature and arts festival that brings together writers, critics and listeners from the worlds of fiction, non-fiction and poetry in the town of Dehradun on the foothills of the Himalayas. The sessions, which immerse the audience into the worlds of literature, philosophy and contemporary India, dance and crafts has brought to its sessions the Dalai Lama, Ian Cardozo, Leeladhar Jagudi, Ritu Menon, Rajdeep Sardesai, Shekhar Gupta, Arif Mohd Khan, Rahul Dev, Gurcharan Das, Ira Pande, Pushpesh Pant, Jairam Ramesh, among many other distinguished speakers who have been part of the festival.
The Festival seeks new dimensions and perspectives not only from established and mainstream writers, but also gives a platform to the unacknowledged ones, by showcasing their book reviews, involving them in panel discussions, and felicitating them. This year’s Festival also will pay tribute to two stalwarts who enriched writing in Dehradun – Raj Kanwar and Pradeep Singh. Both passed away leaving their footprints on time.
VoW is not just about writers and books. It is also about art and artists. It has featured exhibitions in the past: Iti Kriti, for pan-Himalayan sustainable arts, crafts, and fashion; Iti Smriti, for ethically-sourced and up-cycled memorabilia; and Iti Lekh, the book bazaar for curated reading. The latest edition of Iti Natya is aimed to promote an aesthetic understanding of theatre techniques and acting nuances among school going students whereas Iti Nritya aims to encourage young upcoming dancers and to spread awareness about our rich intangible art form – dance.
We often take our day-to-day movements for granted. In the process, we take our body for granted. The glance of the eyes, the shrink of the eye-brows, the flaring of the nostrils, the shrugging of shoulders, etc., convey a lot more than spoken words.
As Martha Graham wrote, “Movement never lies. It is a barometer telling the state of the soul’s weather to all who can read it. The next time you look into the mirror, just look at the way the ears rest next to the head; look at the way the hairline grows; think of all the little bones in your wrist; it is a miracle. And Dance is a celebration of that miracle.” The Valley of Words brings together all forms of the human spirit and soul.
If you want to hear the Governor, Lt General Gurmit Singh (Retd) who is a very fine and spirited speaker, or Shyam Saran, Prof Dipankar Gupta, or listen to a Mushaira, see theatre performances, see and understand Mohiniattam and Kuchipudi, have conversations with writers, poets, attend a Vice Chancellors’ Roundtable on the New Education Policy – and much, much more – then you must attend the Valley of Words Festival on the 16th and 17 th of December. Dehradun is cold these days, but the way to beat the cold is not to stay inside a room and under a quilt but to go to Madhuban Hotel on Rajpur Road. The Hotel has an old age charm and the sessions will warm your heart.
If that does not suffice – you can always grab a plate of noodles with a cup of hot coffee, sit in the sun and listen to wise words!
A piece of heaven on earth. Don’t miss it!
(Kulbhushan kain is an award winning educationist with more
than 4 decades of working in schools in India and abroad. He is a prolific writer who loves cricket, travelling and cooking. He can be reached at kulbhushan.kain@gmail.com)
