The High Commission of India, London and the Indian Council of Cultural Relations, India organised the Annual Kavi Sammelan programme in the UK. These events are held in many cities over a 2-3-week time frame. We are very fortunate to host this event in Nottingham annually for the past 25 years. The event is supported by Kavya Rang Nottingham – Poetic Colours, an organisation of local poets. The event is also supported locally by The Hindu Temple, Nottingham Asian Arts Council and the New Art Exchange. Nottingham is a UNESCO City of Literature and it also supports the event.
There is a long tradition of poetry in Nottingham and it is the ancestral home of the famous poet Lord Byron.
The Kavi Sammelan is a celebration of the Hindi Divas, which is officially on 14 September, since 1949 when the Constituent Assembly of India adopted Hindi, in Devanagari script, as one of the official languages of the Republic of India. Hindi is the fourth most spoken language in the world. It is estimated that 40 percent of Indians speak Hindi. The Kavi Sammelan is truly a breath of fresh air from the repetitive and often meaningless noise that the Hindi cinema regularly produces. I for one, look forward to this annual event, and would not miss it for the world.
Eminent poets from India recited their poetry in Hindi with melody and meaning and fun and laughter. There were three women and 4 male poets who presented a range of poetry. Their chosen subject matter included the banter between husband and wife, the valour and heroism of the Jawans, the depths of feeling of the divine in all humans, a short synopsis of The Mahabharat and the vicissitudes of the poets themselves. The highlight of the evening was the recitation by Dr Sunroopa Vishal of the lifetime experiences and roles of the female, the feminine with the poem Ladkiyan Ladkiyan Ladkiyan.
Dr Rajesh Reddy’s poems have made Jagjit Singh famous, and he sang some of these creations. It is said that jahan na pahunce ravi, wahan pahunche Kavi, and this is very evident at the Kavi Sammelan. Hundreds of people sit mesmerised for hours at this event, sometimes laughing, sometimes crying and at times in reflective pensive mood. A lifetime’s experience of the heights and lows of human emotion and the human condition are revealed at these events.
By Dr.Sudha Vasisht
Readers like you, make ESHADOOT work possible. We need your support to deliver quality and positive news about India and Indian diaspora - and to keep it open for everyone. Your support is essential to continue our efforts. Every contribution, however big or small, is so valuable for our future.
While it is encouraging to know Hindi poetry is still as popular as ever, I feel it should also include poems in English, as it is more or less the only language our younger generation is fluent in. It should be an all inclusive event, attracting every one from the main as well as ethnic minorities. I have just published my 4th book but first book of poetry, titled “Cry For Help” with 80 poems, written over a number of years, published by M. A. Publishing, ISBN 13-978-1-914099-49-8.Poems is one of the most difficult are of writing.
This is very good initiative and tradition to promote our Rashtriya Bhasha (national language) in the UK
It is important to support such events.We all very well know that Urdu was the main language and Hindi was pushed in one corner by Muggal Kings.So it is time now to encourage Hindi writers .
In Nottingham there are other poetry and literature events held around the year,which are all inclusive. This is specifically a Hindi Divas event