The closing ceremony of the 6th Odisha State Book Festival at the Unit-3 Exhibition Ground in Bhubaneswar was held today.
The Minister of Odia Language, Literature and Culture, Suryabanshi Suraj, graced the closing ceremony as the chief guest while eminent litterateur and columnist Professor Biswaranjan was the special guest.
In his speech, Culture Minister Mr Suraj said, “The place of books in our society is unique. Books bring a sense of peace and tranquillity to the reader’s mind. There is no other alternative to books. In today’s social media era, the demand for books is increasing. This year, the youth in particular have shown interest in buying books at the book fair.
He further said that this year’s Book Fair focused on the literary creations of the founders of Odia’s independence and the writers of the era. Three theme pavilions built by the Culture Department based on the biographies of Dr. Harekrushna Mahatab, Buddha Memorial in Odisha and Birsa Munda and other freedom fighters were the focal points of the Book Fair this year. This book fair, organized with readers, writers and publishers, was successful.
The Culture Minister expressed that books and literature have always been a guide for society.
The distinguished guest, Professor and litterateur Man Biswa Ranjan, said that reading books plays an important role in language, literature, culture and intellectual development. Along with this, he also highlighted the importance and necessity of reading books in the modern era.
In today’s closing ceremony, several books were released and book publishing houses were also felicitated.
Director of Culture Department Bijay Ketan Upadhyay delivered the welcome speech and Joint Secretary Deba Prasad Dash proposed the vote of thanks.
It is worth mentioning that this year’s book fair has done business of more than 3 crores. About 150 publishing houses and booksellers participated in the book fair, while more than 400 stalls were set up.
The main entrance of this year’s book fair was named after Dr. Harekrushna Mahatab, the main stage after the renowned literary figure Satyakadi Hota, the inner entrance of the fair was named after poet Harihar Mishra and the inner stage of the fair was named after literary figure Satyanarayan Bhatadar. In addition, photographs of many great writers were also placed at various places in the book fair.
A coffee corner was set up for interaction between writers and readers, a small auditorium for book releases and literary seminars, and food stalls were also set up by Odisha Tourism Development Corporation, Millet Mission, Koraput Coffee, Mission Shakti, etc.
This year’s Odisha State Book Festival was organized by various newspaper agencies including the leading Odia daily Pragativadi, government departments, Odisha Sahitya Academy, and Odisha State Museum.
The Odisha Language, Literature and Culture Department along with the Odisha Book Publishers and Sellers Association, Odisha Publishers Association, Rajdhani Book Fair, Ekamra Book Fair, and Bhubaneswar Book Fair, as well as many book publishers and booksellers from the state and outside the state, cooperated in organizing the book fair.
This post was originally published on here
