The first Rekhta Gujarati Festival in Mumbai featured an array of poignant ghazals and songs, captivating the hearts of the audience.
The renowned Rekhta Foundation hosted its Mumbai’s inaugural Gujarati event, 'Gujarati Utsav,' this month. Organized at the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Chowpatty, the January 11 event saw a jam-packed auditorium, where prominent personalities gathered to celebrate the rich cultural heritage of Gujarati literature.
The event's chief guest was Solicitor General of India, Tushar Mehta, while the guest of honor was Parimal Nathwani, MP, Rajya Sabha, and Director, Corporate Affairs, Reliance Industries. Popular actress Sarita Joshi paid tribute to the glory of the Gujarati language by presenting verses that celebrated the linguistic richness of Gujarati. She lauded Rekhta Gujarati's work and presented the iconic lines from the song "Nahi Bolun Re" sung by Lata Mangeshkar, and composed by Purushottam Upadhyay. Udayan Thakkar, Advisor, Rekhta Foundation, welcomed the guests.
Tushar Mehta honored Mumbai by referring to it as the "true capital of Gujarati literature". He stressed upon the need to promote Gujarati literature at an international level. He said, "While we may have taught our new generation to read and write in Gujarati, we have forgotten to teach them to enjoy it. Rekhta is filling this gap. It’s the best platform for this purpose."
The first half of the event was devoted to a mushayra, featuring talented poets such as Rajesh Vyas 'Miskin', Bhavesh Bhatt, Krushna Dave, Hemen Shah, Sanju Vala, Mukesh Joshi, and Harshvi Patel, whose mesmerizing recitals of ghazals and songs left the audience spellbound.
Post intermission, the musical performance by Praful Dave and Hardik Dave transported the audience to a different world with their renditions of iconic as well as lesser-known immortal Gujarati songs. The event was moderated by the esteemed poet Ankit Trivedi, whose unique style added an extra dimension to the evening.
Rekhta Foundation, a not-for-profit social impact organization; established in 2012, is devoted to promoting language and literature of the Indian subcontinent and preserving its rich and varied cultural heritage. Rekhta Gujarati's next event will take place in Bhavnagar on 19 January 2025.
