The Pragjyotishpur Literature Festival (PLF) 2025, organized by the Sankardeva Education and Research Foundation (SERF), recently concluded in Guwahati. 

With the theme ‘In Search of Roots’, the festival aimed to reconnect the modern literary landscape of Assam with the ancient civilisational legacy of Pragjyotishpur (the ancient name for Guwahati and the Kamrup kingdom). 

This event is significant as it joins the growing number of regional literary festivals that focus on preserving and promoting India’s diverse indigenous cultures and languages.

Key Highlights 

• Focus on Roots and Identity: The theme emphasized exploring pre-Sankari traditions and the intellectual heritage of the Kamrup-Kamakhya civilization.
• Celebrating Indigenous Voices: The festival honored Tiwa researcher Maneswar Dewri for his documentation of the Tiwa community’s society. 
  • Srotashwini Tamuli was recognised for her emerging contributions to Assamese short fiction.
• The Uniqueness of Mobile Theatre: A key session discussed the evolution of Assamese theatre, from the classical Ankiya Bhawana (a tradition started by saint-scholar Srimanta Sankardeva) to the Bhramyaman (Mobile) theatre tradition. 
  • This unique itinerant cultural model has an estimated annual turnover of millions of rupees and is a major socio-economic and cultural force in the state, bringing high-quality performances to rural audiences.
• Linguistic and Cultural Plurality:
  • The Kavya Kaveri sessions featured poets presenting self-composed works in multiple languages.
  • The festival also stressed the need for honest translation of Assamese works into other Indian and global languages, recognizing that translation is key to national integration and cross-cultural dialogue.
• Relevance of Sanskrit and Ancient Wisdom: Speakers underlined the importance of keeping Sanskrit alive as a foundation for nurturing regional Indian languages. 
  • Another session highlighted the difference between Western anthropocentric green writing and the Bharatiya nature literature that views humans and all living beings as integral to the cosmic ecosystem.
• Key Figures Mentioned:
  • Literary contributions of Jnanpith awardee Birendra Kumar Bhattacharya
  • A special interaction on Kalaguru Bishnu Rabha’s legacy

Exam hook: Prelims Question

Q. Which of the following statements about the cultural landscape of Assam, as highlighted in the Pragjyotishpur Literature Festival, is/are correct?

1. The ‘Bhramyaman’ (Mobile) Theatre tradition is a unique cultural model in Assam, which evolved directly from the classical Ankiya Bhawana tradition.
2. The festival’s theme ‘In Search of Roots’ encourages the exploration of post-Sankari traditions to understand Assamese identity.
3. Maneswar Dewri was felicitated for his work in documenting the heritage of the Bodo community.

A) 1 only

B) 2 and 3 only

C) 1 and 2 only

D) None of the statements are correct

Correct Answer: A) 1 only. (Statement 2 is incorrect; it encouraged exploring pre-Sankari traditions. Statement 3 is incorrect; Dewri documented the Tiwa community.)

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