Jharkhand Sahitya Sabha Holds Holi Milan and Kavi Goshthi at Dimna

Poets Recite Verse on Love, Struggle and Festivity at Three-Hour Literary Evening

Key Points:

• Jharkhand Sahitya Sabha organises Holi Milan cum kavi goshthi at Dimna on Feb 18
• Ten poets recite Hindi and Urdu verse; event chaired by Ashok Shubhadarshi
• Dr. Lata Mankar hosts and conducts the three-hour programme at her residence

JAMSHEDPUR – The Jharkhand Sahitya Sabha organised a Holi Milan cum kavi goshthi on the evening of February 18, 2026, at the Dimna residence of Dr. Lata Mankar, drawing poets and literary enthusiasts for a three-hour programme of verse and celebration.

The session was chaired jointly by Ashok Shubhadarshi, president of Janlekhan Sangh, along with Jagdish Sahay and Raghunath Pandey. The programme commenced with the lighting of a lamp and the offering of flowers before a portrait of Goddess Saraswati. Vandana was presented by Reena Saloni.

Sanjay Solomon opened the poetry recitation with a sher on courage: he recited lines urging listeners to cross the river by fighting the waves rather than staying safe on the shore out of fear.

Anju Keshav followed with verses on the endurance of pain, speaking of learning to convert sorrow into tears and making a home within the heart. Meanwhile, Uday Hayat presented lines reflecting on the return of difficult days, noting that while some were pleased, many were distressed.

Sunita Soni recited lines on steadfast resolve, declaring that no matter how the world tried to stop her, she would walk the path of love. On the other hand, Varun Prabhat presented contemplative verse about searching for an old dream and finding an excuse to live.

Shabir Nawadvi recited two Urdu shers. In the first, he spoke of those who were troubled by his standards despite harbouring desires themselves. In the second, he evoked the image of a lamp burning in the wind, saying even darkness had grown anxious at the sight.

Jaiprakash Pandey offered lines on the passage of time, describing how one had been on a journey for an age and was at home only in name. Reena Saloni then read festive Holi verses, expressing that all adornments felt dull without her beloved and that his arrival alone could bring a rosy glow to her cheeks.

Dr. Lata Mankar herself recited lines addressed to the intoxicating month of Phagun. She spoke of those with whom she had wished to celebrate Holi having gone abroad, leaving the season tinged with longing.

Several prominent residents of Dimna were present at the event, including Dhirendra Prasad Singh, Ramdev Prasad, Dhananjay Rai, Vijay Paswan, and Rameshwar Singh. Dr. Lata Mankar also conducted the proceedings of the programme.

The Jamshedpur literary scene has regularly hosted such gatherings. A Faguni Hasya Kavi Sammelan was held in the city in February 2024, while a kavi sammelan hosted by Tata Steel Foundation drew audiences in April 2023. Surbhi, a local literary organisation, has also conducted its national-level kavi sammelan at Loyola School’s Fasy Auditorium. A Bhojpuri Literature Summit was similarly held at Bistupur Tulsi Bhawan in December 2023.