The small and dusty roads of Ghuman, a village in Gurdaspur district of Punjab, are abuzz with activity, of the literary and artistic kind. Orange and white topis complement the golden fields dotting the landscape, as a sea of humanity, from various parts of Maharashtra and Punjab, converge at the venue of the 88th Akhil Bhartiya Marathi Sahitya Sammelan. The mega event, which began on Saturday is a tribute to the memory of Baba Namdev, a saint born in Maharashtra, who spent 20 years in Ghuman. [related-post] And for many visitors here, the Sammelan is a chance to visit and soak in the spirit and soul of a place which was home to their spiritual guru for more than two decades. For Marathi litterateurs and publishers, the Sammelan is a chance to showcase their literary heritage to readers who may not be too familiar with Marathi literature. Like Mukund Beni from Nasik, a writer and publisher, who is here with 1,500 others to participate at the event. Over the last couple of years, Beni has been publishing a magazine on Sant literature, and for the Sammelan, he has brought out a special edition on Baba Namdev, which was sold out. “It’s a privilege to be here, we are at the same place where he was, after 700 years. He was a guru, who got people together, and through him, the people of Maharashtra and Punjab share a unique bond,’’ says Beni. For the special issue, Beni got several writers to write pieces on the saint and other articles on spirituality. “In this age of commerce and technology, this literature is the need of the hour,’’ adds Beni. The new trends in Marathi literature are what the publishing house Chaprak, which also publishes a monthly literary magazine is promoting and encouraging. Writer and editor, Ghanshyam Patel’s introduction to literature began when he was 18, as he began publishing a magazine and then later diversified into publishing novels, short stories, plays, and poetry. Patel is travelling here with young authors, who are part of the endeavour of promoting young writing in Marathi literature. “There is so much being written and read, and the Sammelan is a chance for us to meet writers and readers from a different culture and share various aspects of our cultures,’’ says Sameer Nerlekar, a writer and illustrator, who has written stories that reflect on politics, social issues, present circumstances and how these affect the common man. “We promote young authors, and one of the best-sellers these days is a novel College Gate, which is reflective of college life today and is also being scripted into a film,’’ adds another author Sagar Suravase. Motiram Paul is here from Pune, and has done special issues on Sant literature of 23 saints, focusing on their life, works and teachings. “We are not here for business, but for sharing our literature and knowing about the works of Punjabi writers, our range of publications is diverse, and we hope to reach out to readers,’’ says Nerlekar. Writer, philosopher, and researcher Sadanand More, who has been highlighting the modernity in Sant literature for over forty years, is the president of the Sammelan, a responsibility he says is a privilege. Recipient of the Sahitya Akademi award, More believes that our literary and cultural forefathers left us with an abundant treasure of knowledge, which needs to be shared on platforms like these. Travelling over several days, a group of 170 theatre artistes, singers and musicians from Maharashtra are presenting street plays and stories through songs, with many stops en route to Ghuman. “These art forms are an integral part of the culture of Maharashtra and we talk of serious issues like farmer suicides, female foeticide, pollution etc through our art, and no language is no bar, for we also speak Hindi,’’ says Arun Kapsi, one of the senior members of the group. Art and Aesthetic, an art gallery from Delhi, is exhibition the paintings, sculptures and lithographs of Bhaskar Hande, a Pune-born artist now settled in The Netherlands, who paints extensively on Baba Namdev. Another artistic venture is by Nandu Gawande, who has an impressive collection of art works in acrylics, depicting the life of Baba Namdev, with shlokas and teachings forming a part of the works. “We wanted to know Punjab, and see and feel the place where our guru was,’’ says Gawande, who is also a calligrapher. An interesting initiative by the Saraswati Library from Pune is a showcase of caricatures of the past presidents of the Sammelan. “These are first done in pencil, and then coloured, and it’s the first time we are showcasing these on such a scale, and really enjoying feel and flavour of the festival,’’ says Kailash Bhujare, the artist. As folk musicians and singers ushered in the evening with their beats and traditional instruments, there was festivity and colour in the air. Language and regions were no bar to the bonding.
