‘Rourkela Pustak Mahotsav–2026’, the mega book festival organised by Bhanja Cultural Trust in association with SAIL, Rourkela Steel Plant (RSP) was inaugurated by Mr. Alok Verma, Director In-Charge, RSP on 3rd February at Bhanja Cultural Complex. Present on the occasion were Mrs. Namrata Verma, President, Deepika Mahila Sanghati, Mr. Tarun Misra, ED (HR), Mr. B K Giri, ED (MD-CMLO), Mr. Biswaranjan Palai, ED (Works), Mr. Anil Kumar, ED (MM), Mr. M P Singh, ED (Mines), Mr. Sudip Pal Chowdhury ED (Projects), Mrs. Pravati Misra, Mrs. Smita Giri, Dr. (Mrs.) Pratigna Palai, Mrs. Reeta Rani, Mrs. Navaneeta Pal Chowdhury, all Vice Presidents of Deepika Mahila Sanghati, Mr. Rajesh Dasgupta, CGM (F&A), Dr. Jayant Acharya, CMO In-Charge (M&HS), and other senior officers of RSP and a large number of spectators.
The DIC inaugurated the festival and lighted the ceremonial lamp before visiting the book stalls. Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Verma said, “Books are Gold mine. The more you dig deeper, you gain more knowledge from it. Today’s generation should spend more time with books and make them your best friend.” Expressing his happiness over the large number of Odia book stalls, he said, “Odia language is nearest to Sanskrit, and the way Odia literature has developed in the medieval period is remarkable. It is now our responsibility to promote it and encourage people to read and write in Odia”. He concluded by saying, “The book fair must ignite a spark among the young generation to be fearless to read and write”. He also interacted with many book sellers/publishers present at the venue.
Earlier, the programmer commenced with a soulful presentation of invocation song presented by the artists of Bhanja Kala Kendra played by Guru Smt. Binapani Rath. The artists of Bhanja Kala Kendra also presented classical Odissi Sangeet in the inaugural evening. Mr. Sasanka Sekhar Pattanaik, Deputy Manager (PR) anchored the inaugural ceremony. The entire event was smoothly coordinated by the trustees of Bhanja Cultural Trust.
The 10-day literary extravaganza aims to promote reading habits and celebrate literature, culture and creative expression among people of all age groups. The festival features as many as 114 stalls, with participation from leading publishers and booksellers from across the country. Besides reputed publishing houses from Bhubaneswar and Cuttack, prominent publishers from Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Raipur, Pune and other major cities are taking part in the event, offering a rich and diverse collection of books.
The Book Festival will remain open from 2 PM to 9 PM on weekdays and 10:00 AM to 9 PM on Sundays.
In addition to book exhibitions and sales, the festival also hosts a wide range of literary and cultural activities. These include book launches, literary workshops, poem recitations and interactive sessions with writers every evening. Cultural programmes featuring classical and semi-classical music, classical and folk dance performances, will add colour to the festival. Special competitions for children will be organised during the festival to encourage creativity and reading habits among young minds. Attractive prizes will be awarded to the winners. Spot quiz competition will be added attraction every evening and the winners will receive awards.
With no entry fee, Rourkela Pustak Mahotsav–2026 is expected to attract book lovers, students, writers and cultural enthusiasts from Rourkela and nearby regions, making it a vibrant celebration of literature and culture.
