Lucknow: The third day of the ongoing Lucknow Book Fair at Ravindralaya Charbagh witnessed enthusiastic participation from readers, families, and literature lovers, with the venue buzzing with activity from morning until late evening on Sunday.
Visitors to the fair found a diverse collection of books ranging from classical literature and traditional medicine to modern subjects such as artificial intelligence. At the Sharma Book Stall from Prayagraj, readers showed keen interest in titles like Hakim Luqman Ke Chamatkari Nuskhe, Dhanvantari Krit Ayurvedic Nighantu, Vrihad Booti Prakash, Bhartiya Jadi Bootiyan, and Chikitsa Sagar, reflecting curiosity about traditional healing practices including Ayurveda and Unani medicine.
Meanwhile, the Divyansh Publication stall attracted attention with contemporary titles including Vishwaguru by Neelotpal Mrinal, a recipient of the Sahitya Akademi Yuva Puraskar, Pension Mat Le Yaar by Divya Prakash Dubey, and the Hindi translation of White Nights by Fyodor Dostoevsky, translated by Manish Kumar. Most books at the fair are being offered at a minimum 10 percent discount, while some stalls are providing up to 20 percent discounts to attract readers.
Art and Cultural Activities Add Colour
Marking 150 years of the patriotic song Vande Mataram, young artists including Ashwani Kumar Prajapati, Gaurang Agrawal, Siddharth Dev, Kapil Sharma, Shiva Verma, Vishwas Mishra, Shreya Goswami, Sandhya Vishwakarma, Neha, and Varsha Sharma created a vibrant 15-foot-long painting using shades of yellow, saffron, and brown under the coordination of Bhupendra Asthana.
A rangoli competition organised by the Navanshika Foundation as part of Women’s Month celebrations also drew participation from several artists including Vijaylakshmi Gupta, Smita Pandey, and Deepshree Shukla, who created intricate rangoli designs using colours, materials, and even books.
Literary Discussions and Cultural Dialogues
The literary stage hosted a seminar by the Manjushree organisation on the theme Freedom in Adaptation from Original Works, where speakers including Dayanand Pandey, Shailesh Srivastava, Vivek Shukla, Dr. Amita, and Sangam Bahuguna shared their views.
Another discussion focused on traditional Awadhi cuisine. During the session, noted scholar Dr. Ram Bahadur Misir highlighted the recognition of Lucknow as a “City of Gastronomy” by UNESCO, and elaborated on the region’s rich culinary heritage.
Book Releases Highlight the Day
One of the major highlights was the launch of the short story collection “Prem Ek Nadi Se” by Sanjay Kumar Malviya. The book was released by senior litterateur Pramodkant Mishra, with writer Dr. Sudhakar Adeeb presiding over the event. Speakers noted that the stories in the collection explore human emotions and realistic situations in simple yet powerful language.
Another significant moment was the release of “Bhav Suman Ki Sugandh”, the 63rd book written by Dr. Amita Dubey, dedicated to former Chief Secretary and late litterateur Dr. Shambhunath. The event saw participation from several literary figures including D.N. Lal, Alka Pramod, Dr. Kailash Devi Singh, Chandranath, Manorama Lal, Harimohan Bajpai Madhav, Naveen Shukla, and Alok Dubey.
The poetry collection “Sufi Ishq” by Swarnrashmi, featuring 28 poems centered on themes of self-love and spirituality, was also discussed during the session.
Young Writers Honoured
In the evening, the 46th Young Writers’ Day organised by the Yuva Rachnakar Manch honoured emerging writer Adarsh Pandey from Sultanpur. The ceremony, chaired by Dr. Rashmi Sheel, featured poetry and literary readings by Dr. Mridul Sharma, Shri Krishna Dwivedi Dwijesh, Avadhesh Gupta Naman, Taravati Vidya, Sushma Srivastava, Rituraj Pandey, and Engineer Sunil Kumar.
With free entry and a lively mix of literature, art, and cultural dialogue, the Lucknow Book Fair continues to attract visitors of all ages, creating a festive atmosphere that celebrates reading, creativity, and intellectual exchange.
