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Popular Marathi author Vishwas Patil was on Sunday unanimously elected the president of the 99th Akhil Bharatiya Marathi Sahitya Sammelan which is scheduled to take place in Satara from January 1 to 4, 2026.
The literary event will be organised by the Shahupuri branch of the Maharashtra Sahitya Parishad and the Mavala Foundation, according to an announcement by the President of the Akhil Bharatiya Marathi Sahitya Mahamandal, Prof Milind Joshi.
The decision was made during a meeting of the Sahitya Mahamandal held at the Maharashtra Sahitya Parishad in Pune, chaired by Prof. Joshi.
Prof. Joshi stated that Vishwas Patil’s name recommended by all affiliated organisations of the federation.
As the Sammelan is being hosted by the Shahupuri branch of the Maharashtra Sahitya Parishad, the Pune-based parent body did not propose any names for the presidency.
Patil’s selection was a unanimous decision, based on his significant contributions to enriching Marathi literature. Prof. Joshi added that there was no need for a vote, and even the president of the federation did not have to cast a ballot.
The meeting also approved the programme schedule and outline that the steering committee had finalised with the organisers on Saturday. The meeting was attended by Vice-President Gurayya Swami, Secretary Sunitraje Pawar, Treasurer Vinod Kulkarni, and representatives from various literary bodies.
The previous Sahitya Sammelan president Dr. Tara Bhawalkar could not attend due to health reasons.
Sammelan highlights
As part of the four-day sammelan, to held at the Shahunagar Stadium, a grand procession of books (Granth Dindi) will take place on the eve of the inauguration.
On the same day, a poets’ gathering (Kavi Katta), and a children’s “Anand Melava” will be inaugurated. The main Sammelan inauguration will be held next morning. The book exhibition will be open to the public for all four days.
Discussions and seminars will be prioritised over long speeches to allow for deeper exploration of topics.
The programme will include a special poets’ meet for invited poets, discussions on contemporary and popular books, interviews with renowned authors, and conversations with prominent novelists.
For the first time, all former presidents of the Akhil Bharatiya Marathi Sahitya Sammelan, authors who have received the Saraswati Samman award, selected Sahitya Akademi award winners, and former presidents of the Sahitya Mahamandal will be invited.
4th time in Satara
This will be the fourth time the literary event is being held in Satara since it started in 1878.
The third sammelan, was held in Satara in 1905, presided over by Raghunath Pandurang Karandikar. The 44th sammelan in 1962 under the presidency of N. V. Gadgil, and the 66th in 1993 under the presidency of Vidyadhar Gokhale, too, were hosted by Satara.
The venue
The planned venue, Chhatrapati Shahunagar Stadium, is the same location where the 66th sammelan was held in 1993. The stadium spans 14 acres and will house the main stage, other smaller venues, the book exhibition, the poets’ and ghazal poets’ gathering, and dining facilities.
Three additional halls are available for smaller events. The stadium has a seating capacity of 25,000. The eight-acre police parade ground behind the stadium will be used for parking.
