Himalaya Manch Dedicates Poetry Meet to Late Artist Prof. Mahesh Chandra Saxena
Shimla, October 26: The Himalaya Sahitya, Sanskriti Evam Paryavaran Manch (registered), Shimla, held its monthly poetry gathering, *Kavya Milan*, at the historic Gaiety Theatre on Sunday, dedicating the 16th gathering of the year to renowned artist Prof. Mahesh Chandra Saxena, who passed away recently.
The programme began with a two-minute silence and a heartfelt tribute to the late artist.
Manch president S.R. Harnot described Prof. Saxena’s demise as an irreparable loss to Shimla’s art and cultural community, noting that the Himalayas came alive through his canvases. He said that promoting art and literature was a meaningful way to honour the legacy of a distinguished artist.
The presidium comprised senior literary critic Dr Hemraj Kaushik, Dr Vikas Singh, Associate Professor in the Department of Political Science and Population Studies at Himachal Pradesh University, Dr Deepali Dhoul, and Dr Sonia Thakur, Additional Director, Rural Development and an HAS officer.
The panel appreciated the Manch’s sustained efforts to promote literature and culture, observing that regular literary gatherings at the historic Gaiety Theatre strengthen Shimla’s cultural identity and provide an important platform for emerging writers.
During the event, Dr Vandana Singh Chauhan presented her recently published poetry collection, *Prakriti Ke Sevak*, to the presidium.
The poetry session, conducted by Deepti Saraswat Pratima, featured senior poets, young writers and student participants. Their compositions explored themes of the mountains, environment, love, human relationships and contemporary social concerns.
Several poets and literature enthusiasts attended the gathering, including Jagdish Bali, Salil Shamsheri, Sikandar Bansal, Abhishek Tiwari, Virendra Sharma, Dr Rajesh Verma, Dr Vandana, Poonam Sankhyan, Uma Thakur, Hemlata, Jagdish Kashyap, Dr Kaushalya Thakur, Manju Sharma, Ashwani Kumar, Pooja Sood Dogra, Kamla Bhoyal, Yadav Chand Salhotra, Jawahar Kaul and Rajesh, along with several young student writers.
Samagra Sikhsha
