Nalanda Lit Fest 2025 opens (Photo: NLF Team)
Nalanda: The first edition of the five-day Nalanda Literature Festival (NLF) kicked off on Sunday at Rajgir Convention Centre in Bihar, bringing together a vibrant mix of authors, poets, artists and filmmakers for a celebration of literature, creativity and contemporary thought.
Rooted in the ethos of Nalanda as a historic global centre of learning, the Nalanda Literature Festival 2025 positions itself as a platform celebrating legacy, language and literature, with a special focus on Bihar and the North East.
The NLF 2025 will foreground classical and contemporary literary traditions, encourage regional, national and global exchanges, and create space for diverse voices, ranging from folklore and oral narratives to contemporary and future-facing writing, while examining cultural intersections and evolving literary expressions.
Over the course of the festival, the Nalanda Literature Festival will host a rich and diverse programme featuring thematic literary sessions, panel discussions, author interactions, and thought-provoking workshops.
The festival will also include dedicated book stalls showcasing a wide range of publications, curated book reviews and launches, live cultural performances, and daily yoga and meditation sessions, offering participants a holistic experience that blends intellectual engagement with cultural expression and well-being
Ganga Kumar, Festival Director, Nalanda Literature Festival, said, “The Nalanda Literature Festival is envisioned as a living tribute to Nalanda’s timeless legacy of knowledge and dialogue. Through NLF 2025, we seek to create a platform that brings together scholars, writers, artists, and thinkers to engage with ideas rooted in tradition while addressing contemporary cultural and literary realities.”
The discussions witnessed the participation of several distinguished personalities, including Prof. Siddharth Singh, Vice Chancellor, Nava Nalanda Mahavihara (NNM); Ganga Kumar, Festival Director, Nalanda Literature Festival; D. Aaliya, Chairperson, Nalanda Literature Festival; Dr. Sonal Mansingh, Festival Chairperson; Dr. Pankaj K. P. Shreyaskar, author, columnist and poet, and Festival Advisor; Pankaj Dubey, author and Festival Curator; Charles Thomson, Anchor of the event; Sanjay Kumar, civil servant and social activist; and Dr. Sarita Boodhoo, social activist, writer and journalist, along with members of the media and the cultural community.
The Nalanda Literature Festival 2025 is expected to emerge as a significant national and international cultural gathering, reaffirming Nalanda’s enduring legacy as a space for learning, dialogue and the exchange of ideas, while situating Rajgir at the centre of contemporary literary and intellectual conversations.
About Nalanda Literature Festival 2025
The Nalanda Literature Festival (NLF) is a premier platform celebrating India’s literary, linguistic, and cultural heritage, inspired by the ancient legacy of Nalanda University, once the world’s foremost seat of learning. Rooted in the ethos of cultural revival and intellectual exchange, NLF aspires to become a beacon of cultural renaissance, reconnecting contemporary literary discourse with India’s rich traditions of knowledge and storytelling.
Guided by its core pillars, Legacy, Language and Literature, the festival revives and honors classical and contemporary literary traditions, with a special focus on regional voices, vernacular languages, and emerging literary talent from Bihar and the North East.
