Of the many literary festivals making an impact in the world of literature and reading is the Pune International Literary Festival. Already in its 6th year, the festival has seen tremendous support from readers, authors and publishing houses alike.
They say Literature offers solace in difficult times. But, Festival Director Manjiri Prabhu wasn’t content with just relying on books to bring respite to troubled souls. With an astrologer mother who encouraged meditation and conversations around Spirituality, Manjiri had an environment of Spirituality and Astrology while growing up. She herself is a firm believer in soul connections, twin flames, past life existences, and the power of unconditional love, and holds the opinion that a sound understanding of all things spirituality is what will lead to a more fulfilling existence.
‘In the first year of PILF, we had even planned a separate stream on Spirituality but ended up doing some sessions. The time now was just right for this festival,’ she says. ‘Being a writer is not a prerequisite to being spiritual although it definitely is inter-related. The arts and literature play a huge role in finding the divine, love, peace and harmony. And for that matter, the common man, when pointed in the right direction, can also attain spirituality.’
With this purpose in mind, and backed by her sound experience from the successful execution of the widely acclaimed PILF, Prabhu set out to create another mega three-day event in an attempt to offer the much-needed insight that questions our chaotic outer existence and looks at finding emotional and intellectual balance through spirituality.
The International Festival of Spiritual India, the first of its kind in the world, was conceptualised as an annual event to be held in February, with the sole mission to demystify the concept of spirituality by spreading awareness and help people understand and imbibe its values, eventually helping them find their own path to happiness and peace.
‘It’s a self-help kind of festival, a guidance in the turmoil happening around us, nudging people in the right direction and helping them gain confidence in their lives,’ says Prabhu.
Spread over 21 sessions and 18 workshops, the first edition held from 22nd-24th February 2019 saw over 2000 attendees participate in a plethora of events, workshops, discussions, and performances, organized to help spread awareness about various topics like wellness, yoga, meditation, spiritual symbolism and cults, relationships, practices etc.
The wide variety of topics covered through various sessions and workshops during the festival.
About the festival, speaker and panelist, author Mona Verma, says ‘It was spiritually satiating!’
Her session, on Spiritual Sensuality in Arts, was with Alka Pande and Arundhati Patwardhan, where they discussed how the purity of spirituality can express the sensual and erotic side of human nature through the arts. ‘Sensuality is not a sexual innuendo, it’s an ethereal experience leading to spirituality,’ she says, as a takeaway from the session where they spoke about the individual significance of sensuality and spirituality and how each contributes to the expression in music, dance, and literature.
Considering both Prabhu and Verma are renowned authors, Literature and arts seem to have a deep connection with Spirituality. Take Dastangoi, for example, an oral storytelling art form that has its roots embedded deep in the 13th century, it relies upon a unique combination of creativity and spiritual connection.
‘Indeed! As the Dastango takes on various characters, complete with voice modulation, it’s almost like the real person is not there. It’s a very elevated experience, and you jump out of yourself and pose as your characters. Since one person does it all, it is indeed deeply spiritual,’ Mona explains further, about her session with Fouzia Dastango.
That sounds intense, and a lot similar to the process of writing when the writer gets involved in their story so much that they almost forget their own existence and become the characters. The writer in Mona agrees. ‘Fouzia said, she feels she leaves herself behind.’
Credited as ‘India’s first female Dastango’, Fouzia’s often takes stories and converts them into dastangoi, as she did during her session with Mona Verma. ‘I recited poetry on rape- a burning social topic and Fouzia did Dastangoi on the same,’ Mona said.
The festival, however, was not just about exploring the relationship between artistic forms of expression and spirituality. With sessions like Relevance of Scriptures, Religious significance, astrological sciences, and even understanding the impact of spirituality from an HR perspective in the corporate world, and workshops on Past-Life Regression, Mindful Breathing, Satvik Cooking, Speech Therapy among others, the focus was on wholesome existence based on humanities and spiritual wisdom.
As Manjiri says, ‘Every journey starts with self, then moves to your family, then society and then the world at large. IFSI will try to help spread Love and Compassion in today’s world.’
With the current political and social scenario of the world being in such upheaval as it is, a festival like this isn’t just a requisite of the hour to help relieve the pain, but also to help create a more peaceful existence.
‘It augurs well for the fact that people, by and large, have an oblique towards spirituality or perhaps see it as a saviour,’ says Mona.
What is your take on Spirituality? How do you think a festival like this can help you in your life? Share your thoughts and ideas using the comment box below.
INCREDIBLE WOMEN OF INDIA 