An exploration of intriguing ideas, words, creativity and a world of imagination — University of Lucknow's first Literature Festival, ‘Lucknow – Ek Naya Daur’ was hosted successfully this weekend. Organised by The Department of English and Modern European Languages, in collab with LU's Tagore Library, the two-day literary extravaganza aimed to honour the puissance of literature to awe, educate and unite all.

The event comprised everything — from illuminating conversations spearheaded by renowned authors, scholars and performances by artists to rediscovery of the city's rich cultural and culinary history, its flourishing thespian culture, the beauty of poetry and more.

After the pre-festival performance by Jonathan Sahay captivating the audience with his mesmerising voice, the LU students invoked the Lord by singing "Oo Palanhare".

Next up, international students from Kenya, Tajikistan, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Bangladesh and Afghanistan depicted the university's multiculturalism via performances showcasing the cultural and historical intermingling of India with their respective countries.

This was followed by an insightful panel discussion around the beautiful Lucknowi Tehzeeb and its cultural importance. The next session, titled 'Theatre and Cinema: Voices from Lucknow' included panelists Surya Mohan Kulshreshtha, Atul Tiwari, Salim Arif and Prof RP Singh.

'Poetry to Music', presented by Dr Hari Om, kickstarted with an immersive poetic exchange between the moderator, Dr Abbas Raza Nayyar, and the speaker. He also shared his journey from being a Hindi PhD scholar at JNU to becoming a full-time poet.

The day was concluded with an enrapturing play, 'Chakravyuh'. Solely produced and put up by the The English Theatre Group of the Department of English and Modern European Languages, the performance proved to be a treat for cinephiles. It revolved around the life of Abhimanyu, the son of Arjuna from Mahabharata, and utilised Indian classical ragas to elevate the poetic and emotional effect.

Day 2 began with as much vigour and excitement as the festival deserved. From engrossing sessions by Satya Sarana and Alankar Rastogi to poetry sessions like 'Lucknow Musings', the fest entranced all those present.

It quickly progressed to the exploration of Lucknow's culinary delights via an enlightening discussion, followed by a riveting session of Indian  classical instrumental music, "Tarang - Classical Notes, Times Emotions". A soothing Santoor recital by Pt Dishari Chakraborty, accompanied with Tabla performance by Sumit Malik charmed the spectators. A tribute to the legendary actress, Meena Kumari: "Ek Mukhtasar Dastaan" was presented by Harsh Vardhan and Vasundhara Shukla.

The second day of a memorable Literature festival concluded with the grand finale and staging of the play 'Gudamba', starring Lubna Salim and directed by Salim Arif.