Raipur Literature Festival 2026: Literary Voices Resonate at Surjit Navdeep Mandap with Special Poetry Recital by Women Writers

Raipur, January 2026 : The Raipur Literature Festival 2026, being held in Nava Raipur, is continuing with great enthusiasm and literary dignity. As part of the festival, the Surjit Navdeep Mandap hosted several sessions of poetry and satire, including a special poetry recital by women writers, with participation from over 90 emerging and contemporary writers from various regions of the state.

Under the broader framework of the Raipur Literature Festival, the special women writers’ poetry session was jointly organized by Jai Johar Literature–Culture Institute, Chhattisgarh Literature and Culture Institute, and Chhattisgarh Mitra. The programme was coordinated by Dr Seema Nigam, President of Jai Johar Literature–Culture Institute. The event was graced by Dr Rashmilata Mishra, Mrs Shashi Surendra Dubey, and Mrs Shakuntala Tarar, President of the Chhattisgarh Literature and Culture Institute, as distinguished guests. The stage proceedings were conducted by Dr Seema Awasthi and Suman Sharma Bajpai.

Through their poems, women writers powerfully portrayed themes such as Chhattisgarh’s folk culture, the glory of its rivers, social concerns, women’s empowerment, and patriotism. Prominent participants included Vimla Maheshwari, Bharti Yadav Medha, Purva Shrivastava, Pallavi Jha, Nandini Lahej, Dilshad Saifi, Anita Jha, Anamika Sharma ‘Shashi’, Pramada Thakur, Sushma Prem Patel, Poornima Tiwari, Shubhra Thakur, Dhara Devangan, Shakuntala Tiwari, Seema Pandey, Dr Jyoti Diwan, Dr Sandhya Rani Shukla, Nalini Bajpai, Anjana Bhake ‘Kanupriya’, Shashi Tiwari, Dr Tuleshwari Dhurandhar, Pratima Banerjee, Durga Pathak, Abha Shrivastava, Manjusha Agrawal, Kalyani Tiwari, Preeti Mishra, Chandra Prabha Dubey, Chandrakala Tripathi, Archana Jain, and Khilesh Gaur, among many others. The vote of thanks was delivered by Dr Mrinalika Ojha.

Other literary sessions at the Surjit Navdeep Mandap included collective poetry recitals and satire presentations, which also drew significant attention. A 15-member group from Dhamtari, led by Mr Dumanlal Dhruv, presented poems rooted in rural and folk sensibilities. From Raipur, a nine-member group led by Mr Rajashekhar Chaubey presented satirical works on contemporary issues, while a 12-member group from Mahasamund, led by Mr Ashok Sharma, showcased regional cultural expressions. Additionally, a seven-member group led by Mr Ashish Singhania from Raipur recited poems reflecting youthful thought and innovative experimentation.

The day-long sessions witnessed a large turnout of literature enthusiasts, with each presentation receiving warm applause and appreciation. According to the organizers, the Raipur Literature Festival has evolved beyond a cultural event into a strong intellectual and literary movement