Hortus takes national stage; Kochi to host second edition

New Delhi: The national capital witnessed a grand cultural moment with the official proclamation and logo release of the second edition of Hortus, the international arts and literature festival organised by Malayala Manorama. The announcement was made at Travancore Palace in Delhi, in the presence of leading literary and cultural figures from across the country.

Malayala Manorama Executive Editor Jayant Mammen Mathew declared the festival open, setting the stage for an expansive celebration of literature, cinema and dialogue. The second edition of Hortus will take place at Subhash Park, Kochi, from November 27 to 30.

The festival logo was jointly unveiled by the former NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant, writer and historian Narayani Basu, Hortus Festival Director N S Madhavan, and Dr Tom M Joseph, Director of New Initiatives at Jain University.

The upcoming edition of Hortus upholds the theme I-You-We (The Power of We), which celebrates the depth and transformative potential of collective voices. The four-day event will host over 500 guests, with an array of seminars, debates, a film festival and a book festival.

Addressing the event, festival director N S Madhavan noted that Kochi is a fitting venue, being a land enriched by the botanical legacy of Hortus Malabaricus, the historic text that first used the Malayalam script. Amitabh Kant said the unique opportunity presented by Hortus, which goes beyond ideological debates, helps to immerse in the diverse culture of Kerala and makes it worth a trip to Kerala this November.

Narayani Basu, biographer of V P Menon and Sardar KM Panikkar, expressed her delight at being part of a platform that allows her to share the story of India’s history, which is shaped in no small part by Malayalis. A video presentation of the first edition of Hortus, which was held in Kozhikode, was screened on the occasion.

Among the distinguished guests were diplomats from various embassies of foreign countries, former Supreme Court Judge C T Ravikumar, Kerala Government’s Special Representative in Delhi Prof K V Thomas, Prof Soya Hasan, Ananya Vajpeyi, Ritu Menon, Urvashi Butalia, Navtej Sarna, sculptor K S Radhakrishnan, Squadron Leader T S Cheema, K T Ravindran, Alka Pande, Swapna Liddle, and Doordarshan Director General K Satheesh Namboodiripad.