Gorakhpur: The fourth day of the Gorakhpur Book Festival 2025, organized by the National Book Trust (NBT) at Deen Dayal Upadhyay Gorakhpur University (DDUGU) saw thousands of students from the city’s schools thronging the book fair.
At the Children’s Pavilion, approximately 1,200 students from 22 schools participated in a Mandala Art workshop, storytelling session and a story writing workshop. Storyteller Shalini Bansal captivated the young audience with her engaging narrative about a friendly and helpful bird named Sunehri. Soaring high on the wings of imagination, the little ones learned the message of friendship and kindness. In the next session, a “Mandala Art Workshop,” students filled intricate geometric patterns with brilliant colors.
This was followed by a brief introduction to the Rashtriya-e-Pushtakalaya, which inspired students to explore the digital world of books with the mascot, Cheetah. The activities concluded with an immersive and engaging “Story Writing Session” where students were encouraged to think creatively and craft their own original characters, stories, and scenarios—inspiring them not just to read stories, but to write their own.
A Tribute to Prof. Ramdarash Mishra
The Sarvabhasha Trust organized a memorial meeting in the memory of Hindi literary icon, Prof. Ramdarash Mishra, who lived a long and creatively rich life of 102 years. As the Chief Guest, DDUGUVice-Chancellor Poonam Tandon paid tribute, highlighting his literary contributions and reciting one of his poems. Ved Prakash Pandey, the creator of ‘Shaharnama,’ shared anecdotes related to Ramdarash Mishra’s simplicity, literary grace and his dedication to writing.
Prof. Chitranjan Mishra shared emotional memories about Ramdarash Mishra’s colossal personality. Padma Shri Vishwanath Tiwari presided over the event while Shashibindu Mishra spoke about Ramdarash Mishra’s literary journey, recited his poems and delivered the vote of thanks. The session’s anchor, Aakriti Vigya ‘Arpan’, requested the Gorakhpur University and the Hindi Department to organize a lecture series in memory of Ramdarash Mishra. Several dignitaries, including Premnath Mishra and Anant Mishra, were also present.
Stories in Myths
In another session ‘Kathaen in Mythakon’, renowned poet-critic Ashtabhuja Shukla and novelist-translator Asha Prabhat along with Prof. Amod Kumar Rai discussed the Western concept of myths, folk traditions and held an in-depth conversation on the inherent message of the Mandar Mountain, the Devas (Gods), the Asuras (Demons), and the churning of the ocean (Samudra Manthan).
In the final session, ‘Meet the Author,’ renowned journalist Dr. Dayanand Pandey was interviewed by Amit Kumar about his writing. Dr. Pandey said that just as there is no fixed time for loving, there is no separate time for him to write. He further stated that literature always stands on the side of the oppressed and speaks of human sensibilities.
The cultural evening was drenched in sweet melody where traditional folk songs from Purvanchal were presented. Shivendra Pandey played the role of the narrator, and his companions presented songs like Sohar (birth songs),
Chait, Vivah Geet (wedding songs) and Vidai Geet (farewell songs).
Students of the National School of Drama (NSD) presented “Unke Hisse Ka Prem” and “Mannu Ki Betiyan” performed by Amitabh Srivastava, Amit Saxena, Prakash Jha, Gauri Deval, Aditi Arya, Sahaj Harjai and Rachita Verma under the direction of Prof. Devendra Raj Ankur.
The Gorakhpur Book Fair, organized by NBT in collaboration with the Government of Uttar Pradesh and Deen Dayal Upadhyay Gorakhpur University, features more than 100 publishers and 200 book stalls, where thousands of books in Hindi, English, and various Indian languages are on display.
The Gorakhpur Book Festival will be on from 11:00 AM to 8:00 PM, until November 9th. Entry is free and a 10% discount is available on all books. Come and discover your favorite books, meet authors and witness vibrant cultural performances.
