Sikkim Arts and Literature Festival kicks off with a call for world peace and promotion of state's culture

The festival, organised by the state government and Teamwork Arts at the historical site Norbugang, will feature discussions on a wide range of topics, including climate change, wildlife conservation, history, culture and ethnicity, poetry, architecture, folklore, mental health and writings from the northeast, reported The Hills Times.

During the inaugural ceremony on Saturday, Sikkim's education minister, Kunga Nima Lepcha, highlighted the role of art and literature in uniting people and achieving world peace.

"Festivals like this will go a long way in creating opportunities to share varied experiences and create human communities in a world 'torn by war and greed'," he said.

The three-day festival will see the participation of several authors, including Chuden Kabimo, Ankush Saikia, Hoihnu Hauzel, Anand Neelakantan, and Anuja Chauhan, among others.

Singers Harpreet and Bipul Chettri, as well as Rajasthani folk-sufi music collective Kutle Khan Project, will perform at the festival.

The SALF aims to blend the traditional arts and culture of Sikkim with the rest of the country, according to Lok Sabha MP Indra Hang Subba.

"We want that our art and literature are blended with the traditional art, culture and literature of the rest of the country and in the coming time, with the rest of the world," he said.

The festival, which concludes on May 8, will also feature the participation of authors Manjiri Prabhu, Karuna Ezara Parikh, and Teresa Rahman; art historian Moushumi Kandali; Nepalese poet Nawaraj Parajuli; and biochemist-writer Pranay Lal, among others.

Climate experts and scientists Yangchenla Bhutia and Priyadarshini Gurung will also take part in the festival.