Lucknow Book Fair: From Ancient Healing Wisdom to Contemporary Literature

Lucknow — The third day of the Lucknow Book Fair at Ravindralaya unfolded as a vibrant confluence of literature, traditional knowledge and creative expression. From books on ancient healing systems to contemporary fiction and discussions on art and culture, the fair offered visitors a diverse intellectual experience.

Visitors browsing the stalls could find everything from the legendary remedies of Hakim Luqman to books on modern subjects like Artificial Intelligence. The wide range of themes highlighted the fair’s unique appeal — bringing together timeless wisdom and contemporary thought under one roof.

Being a Sunday, the fair witnessed enthusiastic participation from morning until late evening. With free entry and attractive discounts, many families turned the outing into a leisurely cultural excursion, strolling through stalls and attending discussions in a relaxed, picnic-like atmosphere.

At the Sharma Book stall from Prayagraj, titles such as Hakim Luqman ke Chamatkari Nuskhe, Dhanvantari Krit Ayurvedic Nighantu, Vrihad Booti Prakash, Bhartiya Jadi Bootiyan and Chikitsa Sagar drew the attention of readers interested in traditional healing and herbal medicine. These books reflect the enduring curiosity about Ayurveda and Unani medical traditions.

Meanwhile, the Divyansh Publication stall showcased several contemporary titles that were gaining popularity among readers. Among them were Vishwaguru by Sahitya Akademi Yuva Puraskar-winning author Neelotpal Mrinal, Pension Mat Le Yaar by Divya Prakash Dubey, and the Hindi translation of White Nights by the Russian literary giant Fyodor Dostoevsky. While the fair offers a minimum discount of 10 percent on all books, this stall has attracted buyers with a direct 20 percent discount on its titles.

Vande Mataram Comes Alive Through Art

The fairgrounds turned colourful in the morning as young artists created a striking visual tribute to the patriotic song Vande Mataram, marking 150 years of its legacy. Under the coordination of Bhupendra Asthana, artists Ashwini Kumar Prajapati, Gaurang Agarwal, Siddharth Dev, Kapil Sharma, Shiva Verma, Vishwas Mishra, Shreya Goswami, Sandhya Vishwakarma, Neha and Varsha Sharma painted their emotions on a 15-foot canvas using shades of yellow, saffron and brown.

The celebration of creativity continued with a rangoli competition organised by Navanshika Foundation as part of Women’s Month activities. Participants including Vijayalakshmi Gupta, Smita Pandey and Deepshri Shukla crafted intricate rangoli designs, creatively incorporating books into their artistic patterns.

Literary Dialogues and Cultural Discussions

The literary stage began the day with a seminar organised by Manjushri Sanstha on the theme Freedom in Adaptation from Original Works. Writers and thinkers including Dayanand Pandey, Shailesh Srivastava, Vivek Shukla, Dr Amita and Sangam Bahuguna shared their insights on the creative process of adaptation.

Another engaging discussion focused on Awadhi cuisine, coordinated by Jyoti Kiran Ratan. Awadhi cultural scholar Dr Ram Bahadur Misir spoke about the rich culinary traditions of the region, also referencing the recent recognition of Lucknow as a UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy. He highlighted how traditional dishes remain an integral part of Awadh’s cultural identity.

Book Launches Celebrate Literature

A significant highlight of the day was the release of Sanjay Kumar Malviya’s short story collection Prem Ek Nadi Se. The book was launched by senior litterateur Pramod Kant Mishra in a ceremony chaired by writer Dr Sudhakar Adeeb. Mishra remarked that the stories in the collection portray human emotions and realistic situations in simple yet evocative language.

Dr Adeeb observed that Malviya weaves narratives from the depths of personal memory, with love forming the central theme of his storytelling. The collection includes stories such as Prayaschit, Girgit, Patraki Bhai and Bargad ki Chhanh. Authors Dr Amita Dubey and Padmakant Sharma “Prabhat” also shared their perspectives on the work during the discussion.

Another notable moment was the emotional launch of Bhav Suman Ki Sugandh, the 63rd book by Dr Amita Dubey, dedicated to former Chief Secretary and late litterateur Shambhunath. The event saw participation from several literary personalities including DN Lal, Sudhakar Adeeb, Alka Pramod, Dr Kailash Devi Singh, Chandranath, Manorama Lal, Harimohan Bajpai “Madhav”, Naveen Shukla and Alok Dubey.

The gathering also discussed Sufi Ishq, a poetry collection by Swarnrashmi featuring 28 poems inspired by the theme of self-love and spiritual devotion.

Celebrating Young Voices

The evening concluded with the 46th Young Writers’ Day organised by Yuva Rachnakar Manch. Young writer Adarsh Pandey from Sultanpur was honoured during the ceremony chaired by Dr Rashmi Sheel. Poets including Dr Mridul Sharma, Shri Krishna Dwivedi “Dwijesh”, Avdhesh Gupta “Naman”, Tarawati Vidya, Sushma Srivastava, Rituraj Pandey and Er Sunil Kumar presented their literary works.

As the Lucknow Book Fair continues, it is becoming much more than a marketplace for books. With art, discussions, traditional knowledge and literary celebrations unfolding each day, the fair has evolved into a dynamic cultural festival where ideas, creativity and heritage come together.