Bringing together the diverse dimensions of the Hindi language’s creativity and nuance on a single stage, Hindwi Utsav — an annual festival by the Rekhta Foundation — returned for its fifth edition at Delhi’s Siri Fort Auditorium on Sunday. A vibrant celebration of Hindi literature, music, and theatre, the festival continues to strengthen its reputation as a key cultural event for lovers and creators of the language. “The festival has grown from a celebration of Hindi literature into a vibrant annual tradition for the community of Hindi literature lovers, creators, and enthusiasts. With each passing year, it has become more inclusive, more ambitious in scale and reach, and a stronger cultural force,” said Sanjiv Saraf, founder of the Rekhta Foundation.
This year’s edition showcased a rich line-up of poets, writers, musicians, and theatre artists. The evening opened with a Kavitayi (poetry reading), featuring both senior and emerging voices such as Ashok Vajpeyi, Uday Prakash, and R. Chetankranti, who brought contemporary sensibilities to life through their words.
No celebration of literature is complete without music, and the festival delivered it right. The event saw a blend of classical, folk, and contemporary styles, including a poetic-musical presentation by the group Vachik, and a rousing performance by youth favourite Raahgir, whose folk music added energy and soul to the evening.Panel discussions and author dialogues delved into themes of language, lived experiences, and ideology. Speakers included Mridula Garg, and Smita Prakash, who reflected on the personal and political dimensions of writing in Hindi today.
On the importance of such events and the future of Hindi, Saraf said: “Preserving Hindi means making the language accessible across geographies and generations—whether through its scripts, dialects, folk forms, or digital expressions. It’s about ensuring that Hindi, in all its lived and creative forms, remains a bhasha that is both rooted and evolving.”
The Hindwi digital platform was launched by Rekhta Foundation in 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic. The platform aims to make Hindi literature beautifully curated, well-organised, and widely accessible for future generations.
In a country with such immense linguistic diversity, the role of Hindi literature festivals often invites comparison with more Anglophone spaces. But Saraf emphasised that Hindi has always been inclusive by nature. “Festivals like Hindwi Utsav must reflect this plurality—not celebrating Hindi in isolation, but as part of India’s vibrant linguistic culture. Going forward, we will continue to extend this ethos. Hindi will connect, bind, and enrich itself through interactions with regional languages and voices.”
Looking ahead, the Rekhta Foundation plans to take Hindwi Utsav beyond Indian borders. “The festival has become a must-visit for Hindi lovers. We now intend to take it international—expanding its reach and participation, and connecting with Hindi-speaking, reading, writing, and engaging audiences across India and the world.”