Chittorgarh Literature Festival 2026 Concludes with Cultural Evening and Roadmap Declaration

Chittorgarh: The three-day Chittorgarh Literature Festival 2026, part of the continuous 21st Century Rajasthan Literary Movement since 2010, concluded on Friday night with a grand cultural evening and the historic reading of a declaration by founder Anil Saxena. Hosted on the sacred grounds of historic Chittorgarh, the national event showcased a vibrant confluence of literature, culture, folk arts, and youth awareness.

Over the three days, nearly 6,700 students, young participants, and literature enthusiasts from the district attended, alongside more than 247 writers, artists, academicians, and participants from across India, giving the festival the character of a cultural mass movement rather than just an event.

Prestigious Guests Elevate the Festival

The festival’s stature was enhanced by the presence of Padma Shri awardees, including:

• Dr. C.P. Deval (Ajmer)

• Dr. Urmila Srivastava (Mirzapur)

• Janaki Ram Bhand (Bhilwara)

• Munna Master (Bagru)

• Shyamsundar Paliwal (Rajsmand)

These dignitaries emphasized the need to preserve Indian culture, folk traditions, and literature in their addresses.

Government Participation and Book Culture

Under the guidance of Basant Singh, nodal officer appointed by the Rajasthan Government’s Department of Art, Literature, and Culture, seven major book stalls were set up, including:

• Rajasthan Sahitya Akademi (Udaipur)

• Hindi Granth Akademi (Jaipur)

• Rajasthan State Archives (Udaipur)

• Rajasthan Oriental Institute (Udaipur)

• Information Center (Chittorgarh)

• Kalamkar Manch (Jaipur)

• Gautam Book (Jaipur)

Additionally, more than a dozen book stalls and art galleries were organized under Youth Movement Rajasthan, attracting students, youth, and senior literature enthusiasts throughout the festival. New books, folk literature, research publications, and art exhibitions created a lively intellectual environment.

Cultural Evening: Tradition Meets Innovation

The closing day cultural evening began with Saraswati Vandana by Central Academy students, followed by a devotional Navdurga Stuti by Vision College students.

• Child artist Anik Puri performed patriotic songs.

• Students of Kalika Gyan Kendra presented Rajasthani folk dances, showcasing the region’s cultural heritage.

• A short play on phone addiction by AIMS Academy students highlighted social awareness.

• Bhavya Joshi performed a Radha-Krishna themed solo dance.

• Mahendra from Bhadesar village enchanted the audience with his flute recital.

• S.K. Events, Udaipur, presented Rajasthani solo dances, and Boonda Khan and party from Jaisalmer performed traditional folk singing.

• Amit Chechani (Chittorgarh) and Mahesh Saxena (Rawatbhata) added musical performances, elevating the evening.

The lamp-lit stage, rhythmic folk music, and participation of youth and elders together gave the event a historic and emotional dimension.

Distinguished Presence

The cultural evening was chaired by Dr. K.S. Kang, with Dr. Kalyani Dixit as the Chief Guest and Shiv Mridul and poet Abdul Jabbar as special guests. The welcome address was delivered by Shashwat Saxena, Founder President of Youth Movement Rajasthan, highlighting the festival as a platform for youth energy, cultural awareness, and literary dialogue. Program coordination was done by Shanti Saxena.

Declaration and Future Roadmap

On the occasion, Anil Saxena, founder of the 21st Century Rajasthan Literary Movement, released the Chittorgarh Literature Festival 2026 declaration, outlining the festival’s future roadmap:

• Establishing literary dialogue platforms in every district of Rajasthan

• Organizing youth writing workshops and training camps

• Promoting local languages and folk culture preservation campaigns

• Expanding the “One District–One Literature Festival” model

• Developing digital literature platforms

• Providing publishing support to young writers

He stated:
"This movement is not merely an event but a campaign for cultural pride and intellectual self-reliance. The literary torch lit in Chittorgarh will now reach every district of Rajasthan. This is not the end, but the beginning of a new literary chapter."

The three-day festival emphasized the integration of literature, culture, and youth power in guiding society toward new directions. With active participation of 6,700 youth and widespread public support, the festival has now established itself as a purpose-driven cultural movement.

Local Artists Showcase Talent

Under Youth Movement Rajasthan, local Chittorgarh artists displayed their work, including: Neel Vaishnav, Ritvi Rathore, Chitransha Mali, Mahesh Saxena, Dipali Swarnkar, Ajay Mishra, Abhay Munshi, Aarti Prajapat, Kiran Chauhan, Ekta, Archana Singh Negi, Suresh Jangid, and Preeti Ajmera.
Central Academy, Chittorgarh, and Chetan Prakashan, Chittorgarh also participated with their stalls.

The festival successfully combined literary dialogue, cultural performances, and youth participation, making Chittorgarh Literature Festival 2026 a landmark event in Rajasthan’s literary landscape.