Apex Web Directory,17 May 2010
Mountain Echoes: A Literary Bhutan Festival
India-Bhutan Foundation presents Mountain Echoes, the first-ever literary festival to be held in Thimphu, Bhutan from the 17th May to the 20th May 2010. Bhutan festivals attract tourists from all over the world. Those who are making a trip to Bhutan will witness a unique experience during the new literary festival which will bring Bhutanese, Indian and international authors together to celebrate the tales and stories from the Himalayan Region. The venue for the Bhutan literary festival is the Tarayana Centre in Thimphu. The focus of the Bhutan Mountain Echoes festival is to promote literature and cultural dialogue between the two countries. HM The Queen Mother Ashi Dorji Wangmo Wangchuck is the chief patron for the festival and HE Pavan Varma, Indian Ambassador to Bhutan has spearheaded the literary festival. Namita Gokhale is the Programme Consultant for the festival. The literary festival is organised in association with Siyahi, a literary consultancy based in Jaipur, India. Bhutan Mountain Echoes festival will have authors like Bulbul Sharma, C P Surendran, Chetan Bhagat, Choki Tshomo, Dasho Karma Ura, Dasho Kinley Dorji, Dorji Penjore, Gulzar, Jai Arjun Singh, Jigme Drukpa, Karma Tenzin ‘Yongba’, Kunga Tenzin Dorji, Kunzang Choden, Kynpham Sing, Leila Seth, Mitali Saran, Namita Bhandare, Namita Gokhale, Omair Ahmad, Patrick French, Pavan Varma, Ravi Singh, Sadanand Dhume, Sampurna Chattarji, Samten Dorji, Sanjoy Hazarika, Sarnath Banerjee, Shashank Ghosh, Shekhar Pathak, Siok Sian Dorji, Sonam Kinga, Tashi Pem, Tshering Penjore, Tshering Wangyel and Urvashi Butalia. The authors, poets and storytellers will explore and discuss the writings from the Himalayan Region during the Mountain Echoes literary festival in Bhutan. The sessions are – Return to Roots: A discussion on culture and identity; Five Poems: Poetry readings; Words as Arrows: Poetry and archery; Of Women, by Women; Bhutan: The inner self; By the Fireside: Folk-tales and shared stories; Young Writers, Young Readers, ‘Aur Neeche tha Dariya’ (And the River Below): Poems about nature; The Mammal and the Dandelion; These Hills Called Home; The Quest for Younghusband, Vernacular Katsoms: Alphabetic poetry; In the High Mountains: Encountering the Himalayas; Winds of Change; Online: Bloggers and new media; Tales of the Land; Ancient Epics, Modern Times; Channeling Creativity, Films and Reality; Mapping the Himalayas, On Balance; and 13 o’ clock. There will be a special music performance by Soulmate at the Clock Tower, Thimphu, Bhutan. The Mountain Echoes literary festival will give a new dimension to the Bhutan tourism and travel.