Shoolini Spring Fest 2026 opens with literature, music and vibrant cultural celebrations

Solan, March 14
Shoolini University’s annual Spring Fest 2026 began on Friday with a lively mix of literary discussions, classical music, art and cultural interactions. The opening day of the three-day festival saw participation from renowned authors, artists, musicians and students, setting an energetic tone for the celebrations on campus.
The sixth edition of Shoolini Spring Fest brings together several major events like the Shoolini Literature Festival, Glitch Tech Fest, Flower Fest and Moksh cultural festival creating a unique platform that celebrates creativity, innovation, art, technology and youth culture under one umbrella.
The festival was inaugurated by former Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF), Himachal Pradesh, Dr Pankaj Khullar, and his wife Madhu Khullar. Among the dignitaries present were Chancellor Prof P K Khosla, Pro-Chancellor Vishal Anand, Vice-Chancellor Prof Atul Khosla, Shoolini President and Director Innovations Prof Ashish Khosla, Chief Learning Officer Dr Ashoo Khosla, President SILB Saroj Khosla, and Director Sustainability Poonam Nanda, along with faculty members, students and invited guests.
In her welcome address, Dr Ashoo Khosla spoke about the vision behind the Spring Fest and highlighted the importance of creating spaces where literature, arts, technology and culture come together. During the inauguration, three young painters from Government College, Solan , Harsh, Mohit and Vineet — were felicitated for the artworks they created during the festival. The artists completed their paintings over three days and were honoured by Dr Ashoo Khosla and Prof P K Khosla. Later, Prof P K Khosla also felicitated Dr Pankaj Khullar for his presence at the event.
The opening morning featured a classical music recital titled ‘Swar Vasant’, celebrating the spirit of the Basant season through Hindustani classical music. The performance was presented by renowned sitar maestro Pandit Kushal Das, accompanied by Kalyanjit Das on sitar and Sandip Ghosh on tabla. The artists performed ragas associated with spring, creating a calm and engaging musical atmosphere for the audience.
The literary sessions began with bestselling author Durjoy Datta, who interacted with students in a session titled ‘Of Love and Other Complications’, moderated by Dr Ashoo Khosla. Sharing his journey as a writer, Datta recalled that his debut novel ‘Of Course I Love You..! Till I Find Someone Better’ was published in 2008 when he was just 21. He also spoke about modern relationships and how terms such as love bombing, breadcrumbing and benching reflect the complexities of relationships among younger generations.
Another engaging interaction followed with actor Pankaj Jha in a session titled ‘Dilon Ki Panchayat’, moderated by Ashish Khosla. A graduate of the National School of Drama, Jha is known for his roles in films such as Black Friday, Gulaal and Chameli, as well as the web series Panchayat. During the discussion, he spoke about identity, fame and the tendency of society. He encouraged students to focus on self-awareness and personal growth rather than constantly seeking validation from others.
Adding colour and fragrance to the celebrations, the annual Flower Fest also opened on campus. Visitors explored a vibrant display of more than 200 varieties of flowering plants, including orchids, anthuriums, pink quill, bromeliads, ranunculus, birds of paradise and begonias. The exhibition also featured decorative plant arrangements and creative installations made from recycled materials by students.