The second edition of Pahalmansingh Swaran Sahitya Special 'Tikapur Literary Festival' has started from Saturday. The festival started with the chief hospitality of Tikapur Social Development Minister Meghraj Khadka and welcome speech by various experts.

TN Joshi, Vice-Chancellor of Sudurpaschim Pradesh Pragya Pratishthan, said that the Tikapur Literature Festival is a campaign of cultural awakening.

Professor Abhi Subedi said that Tikapur Literary Festival is an attempt to breathe life into Tikapur and gain creative power . Mahesh Vikram Shah, the coordinator and president of

festival, opined that literature festivals are now being held all over the country and this has increased the glamor of literature across the country. He said that the literary festival continued in Tikapur even though it was a city that had experienced the harsh situation of conflict. In the opening session of the festival, which has the slogan of social harmony through literature, he said, 'The consciousness of Tikapur will gradually be awakened.' Giving a scholarly lecture at the

festival, analyst Hari Sharma opined that in the current situation where democracy is not felt in the parliament, such festivals provide an opportunity to practice 'mini democracy'. During the opening of the

festival, the picturesque Tikapur Festival 2079 souvenir was also released. The

festival will have 21 sessions. Narrators Narayan Dhakal, Keshav Dahal, Buddhisagar, Saraswati Pratishka, Pragati Rai, Saguna Shah and others will discuss various topics of Nepali narratives.

Writers Bindu Subedi, Yuvraj Nayaghare, Prateek Dhakal, Mohan Mainali, Ghanshyam Khadka will discuss and analyze Nepali non-narrative and philosophy of life. Critic Lakshman Prasad Gautam, Gyanu Adhikari, Vratraj Acharya as well as the former vice-chancellor of Sudurpaschim University Ammarraj Joshi and Dhananjay Timilsina will present critical views on Nepali literature.