Jashn-e-Rekhta is a celebration of the spirit and eloquence of Urdu. The festival is organized annually in Delhi, under the aegis of Rekhta Foundation – a not for profit organization devoted to the preservation and promotion of Urdu language and culture, that operates a free online resource www.rekhta.org launched in 2013, which has since grown to become the largest online repository of Urdu poetry and literature in the world.
Jashn-e-Rekhta endeavors to engage, enlighten and entertain audiences from diverse backgrounds; therefore, it is a free public event, accessible to one and all.
The 3-day annual festival aims to create the much required awareness and appreciation of a language born and evolved in the Indian sub-continent. It celebrates the multi-faceted nature of Urdu – its beauty and versatility. Jashn-e-Rekhta explores the different elements and range of emotions as manifested through poetry, prose, drama, art, cinema and popular culture and includes performances, recitations, mushairas, panel discussions, debates, conversation on films, calligraphy workshop.
Reaching out to both Urdu speaking and the non-Urdu speaking audiences, the Jashn-e-Rekhta curates live performances, recitations, dastangoi, musical renditions, mushaira, dramas, panel discussions, film screenings and interactive sessions. The Jashn also curates an Rekhta Bazaar that revive old-world charms through their creations like the fragrance of ittar, the antiquities of old Delhi, handicrafts, the delicate beauty of chikankari along as well as an elaborate Book exhibition spanning across Urdu, Hindi and English. The spell of Food Festival ‘Aiwan-e-Zaiqa’ lets the food lovers savor the grand feast of cuisines like Kashmiri, Awadhi, Hyderabadi, Mughlai along with the finest selection of popular street food from Purani Dilli. The festival also provides a platform to Urdu lovers and enthusiasts to share their poetry and stories in various open forums.
Jashn-e-Rekhta garners an overwhelming response and appreciation with the support and participation from over 100 most distinguished writers, poets, artists, litterateurs, singers and acclaimed personalities from India and elsewhere. Since its debut in 2015, the festival has grown to become one of the largest literary and cultural events of the country.
Jashn-e-Rekhta, in its fourth edition will continue its efforts to keep Urdu alive in the public consciousness and the three-day long celebration aspires to open up the sensory experience of living and loving a language.
Festival Schedule
- Date: 8th December-10 December 2017
- Venue: Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium, India Gate, New Delhi
