CNN Central News & Network–ITDC India Epress/ITDC News Bhopal: The slogan ‘Vishwarang Zindabad’ echoed during the international procession. During the international procession, artists from Mauritius presented captivating dances adorned with the vibrant colors of Rajasthan, Gujarat, Bhojpuri, and Mauritius.
The grand inauguration of Vishwarang 2024 was led by Shri Santosh Choubey, the visionary behind Vishwarang, and Dr. Madhuri Ramdhari, Secretary General of the World Hindi Secretariat, Mauritius.
Artists and art lovers from Mauritius, along with participants from India, the USA, UK, Qatar, New Zealand, Australia, Suriname, Japan, UAE, South Korea, Kenya, Germany, Cyprus, Bahrain, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Malaysia, Russia, Nigeria, and other countries, were immersed in the colors of Vishwarang.
A comprehensive research book titled ‘Hindi in the World,’ focused on the status of Hindi in 65 countries, was released, along with the book ‘Anand Dhara,’ which is a collection of Tagore’s cultural essays.
Eleven books were launched under the Pravasi Sahitya Series, featuring selected works from Germany, Qatar, Ireland, Nepal, Netherlands, Canada, Fiji, Russia, Singapore, UAE, and the UK.
Classic books such as ‘Antarlay,’ ‘Hori Ho Brajraj,’ ‘Kavita Yatra,’ ‘Phuhar,’ ‘Hamari Saari Duniya,’ and ‘Thoda Sa Ekaant’ were also released.
The sixth edition of Vishwarang 2024 began with grandeur at the World Hindi Secretariat in Mauritius, a beautiful and captivating country that cherishes its art, culture, literature, and language. Vishwarang is being held from August 7 to 9, 2024, at the World Hindi Secretariat, Mahatma Gandhi Institute, and Rabindranath Tagore Institute in Mauritius.
A colorful international procession marked the inauguration of Vishwarang. During the procession, artists from Mauritius performed mesmerizing dances, adorned with the vibrant colors of Rajasthan, Gujarat, Bhojpuri, and Mauritius, enticing everyone to dance along with them. The procession saw the participation of artists and art lovers from India, Mauritius, the USA, UK, Qatar, New Zealand, Australia, Suriname, Japan, UAE, South Korea, Kenya, Germany, Cyprus, Bahrain, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Malaysia, Russia, Nigeria, and other countries, all of whom were enthralled by the colors of Vishwarang. The chants of ‘Vishwarang Zindabad’ reverberated through the international procession, filling everyone with excitement.
The grand and colorful inauguration of the global festival of literature, art, and culture, Vishwarang 2024, took place at the World Hindi Secretariat in Mauritius. The grand inauguration was performed by Honorable Leela Devi Dookun, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Education, Tertiary Education, Science, and Technology of Mauritius.
The grand and colorful inauguration of Vishwarang 2024 was led by Shri Santosh Choubey, the visionary behind Vishwarang, and Dr. Madhuri Ramdhari, Secretary General of the World Hindi Secretariat, Mauritius.
On this golden historic occasion, dignitaries such as Her Excellency Nandini K Singla, High Commissioner of India to Mauritius, Dr. Vinay Sahasrabuddhe, former President of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations, senior poet and storyteller, Shri Santosh Choubey, Dr. Madhuri Ramdhari of the World Hindi Secretariat, Mauritius, Dr. Shubhankar Mishra, and Siddharth Chaturvedi, Pro-Chancellor of Rabindranath Tagore University, and Dr. Jawahar Karnawat, Director of the International Hindi Center, were present. The memorable inauguration ceremony was conducted by Vinay Upadhyay, Director of the Tagore World Center for Art and Culture (India).
At the grand inauguration of Vishwarang 2024 in Mauritius, the Chief Guest, Honorable Deputy Prime Minister Leela Devi Dookun, expressed her pride, stating that it is a historic moment for the Indian cultural and global platform, Vishwarang Tagore International Literature and Art Festival, to come to Mauritius from Bhopal (India). The entire Mauritius is proud of this moment. She emphasized that a country’s language and culture serve as protective shields. To establish existence and identity, it is crucial to preserve language and culture. This shield must be strengthened from time to time. She mentioned that Hindi is taught in Mauritius from the school level to the university level, with even PhDs being offered in Hindi. Hindi teachers are also given allowances to learn the language. Hindi has the power to instill knowledge, emotion, ethics, duty, responsibility, and coordination, as well as build character. She expressed her delight that Vishwarang is providing a platform for artists and writers, as such inspiration leads to the growth of new talent. She wished that Hindi and Indian art and culture would continue to shine globally.
Shri Santosh Choubey, the visionary behind Vishwarang, proudly stated that Hindi is recognized as the third language globally. He mentioned that they have been continuously working for the preservation, promotion, and dissemination of Hindi for the past 40 years. He emphasized that art, culture, literature, and language have the power to transform individuals. He highlighted that Rabindranath Tagore was not only a great writer but also a painter, poet, writer, and connoisseur of music. Therefore, a statue of Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore is being installed here. On this occasion, he recited a poem by Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore titled ‘Antar Mera Vikasit Karo.’ He mentioned that the concept of Vishwarang is that there is potential for development in Hindi, and all of us should work together with determination in this direction. He also emphasized the need to use technology for the development of Hindi. He added that dialects and languages contain the essence of life, and hence, we should not forget them. Shri Santosh Choubey stated that Vishwarang represents India’s cultural richness.
Dr. Madhuri, Secretary of the World Hindi Secretariat, Mauritius, in her address, mentioned that it must have been a very auspicious moment when Mr. Choubey first conceived the idea of Vishwarang. She stated that Vishwarang has created a new history for Hindi. The journey of Hindi that began from Bhopal has now reached the island nation of Mauritius, and only someone with a big heart like Santosh Choubey could have achieved this. She also expressed her gratitude on behalf of the World Hindi Secretariat to the Vishwarang family and the representatives from various countries, including India.
Her Excellency Nandini Singla, High Commissioner of India to Mauritius, stated that there could be no better place than Mauritius to host this event, as literature, art, culture, and Hindi are at the center of their focus. She remarked that the Hindi language is a testament to aspiration, energy, and strength. She thanked and expressed her gratitude to the Vishwarang family for organizing this event. She added that the day is not far when Hindi will become an official language of the United Nations. She urged the youth to dedicate themselves wholeheartedly to Hindi and to engage in reading, studying, and writing in Hindi.
Dr. Vinay Sahasrabuddhe, former President of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations, emphasized that Hindi is a perspective on humanity. He said that by enriching Hindi, we can keep cultural and linguistic democracy alive. He also mentioned that Hindi faces many challenges today, and its form has been distorted in films, news, and conversations. However, Hindi has its own prestige, which will never diminish. He urged everyone to adopt the path of coordination and to ignite the lamp of concept, making Hindi the color of Vishwarang. Honorable Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat also sent a message, stating that Hindi is the language of our dreams and that we must take a vow to nurture it as part of our culture.
Dr. Siddharth Chaturvedi, co-director of Vishwarang, highlighted the significance of the sixth Vishwarang event in Mauritius, stating that art, culture, and literature are the strength of life, and it is through this strength that our lives become powerful. He emphasized the need to preserve and connect Indian languages and dialects. He expressed pride that Vishwarang is being held in one of the most beautiful countries, Mauritius. He mentioned that the World Hindi Secretariat in Mauritius and Vishwarang in India are two teams working with the same spirit. Dr. Siddharth Chaturvedi stated that the dream conceived in 2019 has now taken a tangible form, and the language has gained global recognition. He also mentioned that the National Education Policy has placed special emphasis on language, which is why Rabindranath Tagore University and Vishwarang are focusing on it. He added that they will continue to advance the development of the language.
The event saw the creative presence of artists from Mauritius, India, the USA, UK, Qatar, New Zealand, Australia, Suriname, Japan, UAE, South Korea, Kenya, Germany, Cyprus, Bahrain, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Malaysia, Russia, Nigeria, and other countries.
Creative reading by expatriate writers
In the second session of the first day, a discussion on the topics of education, skill development, agriculture, and entrepreneurship on the global horizon was organized under the chairmanship of Dr. Padmesh Gupta (UK). On this occasion, **Dr. Chaturvedi, Dr. Arun Joshi, Vice Chancellor of Dr. C.V.