The 17th Tirupati Book Festival, organised by Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan’s Tirupati Kendra in association with the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), concluded on Sunday. The closing ceremony turned out to be an occasion for the guests to speak on the importance of reading and the power of books in shaping minds.
The speakers lauded the efforts of Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan honorary director N. Satyanarayana Raju in conducting the event for the 17th consecutive year by drawing crowds from the literary and academic circles. Members of the Tirupati Writers Association felicitated him and recalled his contribution towards promoting the reading habit.
A major highlight of the festival was the release of three new books — Viswakarmeeya Aayadhi Lakshanam, Sreesukthaparayana Vidhi, and Devatha Dhyana Malika — by Shilpakala Bharati, Vijayawada.
Dr. Alladi Mohan, dean of SVIMS University, Tirupati, and secretary of Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan Tirupati Kendra, in his welcome address, emphasised the festival’s role in nurturing intellectual growth.
The festival witnessed thought-provoking speeches by academicians, including IIT Director K. N. Satyanarayana, IISER Director Shantanu Bhattacharya, National Sanskrit University Vice-Chancellor GSR Krishnamurthi, who found a growing need for students to allocate time for creative thinking in the age of artificial intelligence.
Swami Sukritanandaji, secretary of Ramakrishna Mission Ashrama, Tirupati, distributed prizes to the winners of various literary and academic competitions held during the festival.
Dr. B. Vengamma, Vice-Chancellor of Sri Devaraj Urs Academy of Higher Education and Research in Kolar, Karnataka, delivered a special address, appreciating the efforts of students and educators in fostering the reading culture. Joint Collector Shubham Bansal visited the stalls and browsed through the collection of books.
