PONDICHERRY/AUROVILLE POETRY FESTIVAL 2022: A PHOTO ESSAY

Text: Jagari Mukherjee

Photo courtesy: Gargi Chakraborty, Nishi Pulugurtha, Gayatri Majumdar, Paresh Tiwari

The Pondicherry/Auroville Poetry Festival 2022 took place on 21st and 22nd of December: a beautiful and unforgettable affair. Poets from all over the country congregated at the former French colony to participate in this very niche festival.

The festival kicked off with the catching up of friends at the austere Matri Bhavan, where the first session, featuring devotional songs and Sri Aurobindo’s poetry, was held.

Festival Director Gayatri Majumdar (left) at Matri Bhavan.

Festival director Anju Makhija at Matri Bhavan.

Book launches at Palais de Mahe: my bags were loaded with wonderful books when I returned.

A wonderful old friend and a lovely new one: Paresh Tiwari, Kiran Bhat, and Yours Truly at Auroville.

An animated discussion before the sessions at Auroville.

Panel discussion on “Poetry: New Spaces and Future Trends” with Sonia Nair (moderator), Gopal Lahiri, Jagari Mukherjee, Nishi Pulugurtha, Anju Makhija and Paresh Tiwari.

Yours Truly performing her poems on the last evening of the Festival, at Auroville.

A lively and interesting session on Haiku by the inimitable Rochelle Potkar at The Aura, Pondicherry.

The last supper at Casa Pizza before we said our goodbyes. A very memorable dinner it was!