Golpo Utsab 2025: A Grand Celebration of Literature in Tripura
The Golpo Utsab (Story Festival) 2025, a two-day literary extravaganza, was successfully held at Melarmath, Agartala, under the initiative of Akhaner Bikel, with the support of Sahitya Akademi, New Delhi, and Egiye Cholo Sangha. Hosted at the "Arindam Nath Mancha", the event brought together eminent writers, storytellers, and literature enthusiasts, making it a memorable occasion.
The inaugural ceremony, held on February 8, was a grand affair attended by distinguished personalities. Notable guests included renowned fiction writer Amar Mitra as the chief guest, along with Dulal Ghosh, president of Akhyaner Bikel, Chanchal Nandi and Sumant Gupta, Egiye cholo Sangha, Dr. Nirmal Das, director of Sahitya Akademi (NECOL), Dr. Pratyush Deb, convenor of the event and Subrata Chakraborty, the cultural advisor to the government of Tripura. The festival was inaugurated with the lighting of the ceremonial lamp, followed by insightful speeches highlighting the significance of storytelling in Bengali literature.
One of the major attractions of the festival was the story-reading sessions, where well-known artists performed readings of selected stories from eminent authors. Alakananda Chowdhury, Suman Bhattacharya, Gopa Sengupta, Subhashish Chowdhury, and Pinakpani Deb were among those who brought stories to life through their expressive readings.
On February 9, the second day of the festival, the venue saw an even greater turnout. Parallel events were held, with literary discussions and storytelling taking place on the main stage, while various competitions were conducted in the Egiye Cholo Sangha hall. The day began with a thought-provoking address by Amar Mitra.
Competitions such as the Pure Bengali Spelling Contest, Illustration Competition, and Story Writing Contest allowed participants to showcase their literary and artistic talents. The award ceremony was held in the evening, where winners were felicitated with the Arindam (Jishu) Bhattacharya Smriti Award, Ashwini-Kiran Memorial Award, and other prestigious prizes.
A significant part of the festival was the thought-provoking speech by Dr. Paramasree Dasgupta, who discussed on 'The State of Storytelling in Tripura: Problems and Prospects'.
Later in the afternoon, Dr. Sayak Mukherjee delivered a compelling lecture on the evolution of Bengali short stories over the past twenty-five years. The Little Magazine and Publisher's Pavilion was highlighted to attract readers and publishers from across the state.
With the overwhelming success of the Golpo Utsab (Story Festival) 2025, organizers and participants alike expressed their excitement for an even grander celebration next year, promising to continue the tradition of fostering literary culture in Tripura.
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