Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Feb 20: Dhanvantri Library of the University of Jammu, in collaboration with the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA), Regional Centre J&K, and the Translation Club (Utsaah), today launched its bi-monthly book reading series “KITAB-dar-KITAB” with a discussion on “Mountain Goddesses: Finding Feminine Power from an Unexpected Place” by Manu Khajuria Singh.
Rakesh Minhas, Deputy Commissioner Jammu, was the chief guest and shared his reflections on the relevance of the book and the broader idea of feminism. He added that the book draws attention to the feminine power embedded in the region’s mountains, folklore and traditions, inspiring pride in cultural identity.
Prof Meena Sharma, chairperson, UTSAaH Club Consortium, highlighted the need to build an ecosystem that nurtures both active and passive readers to promote literary accessibility and cultural preservation.
Earlier, Dr Vikram Singh Sahi, In-charge Librarian, delivered the welcome address and reiterated the library’s commitment to fostering a vibrant reading culture and intellectual engagement.
Dr Shruti Awasthi, Regional Director, IGNCA, emphasized that books must be understood in depth as they are the most authentic source of knowledge. She termed the collaboration between the Translation Club and the library a significant achievement and underlined every individual’s right to read and write in their native language.
Prof Garima Gupta, Head, Department of Journalism and Media Studies and Coordinator, Translation Club (Utsaah), moderated the discussion with the author. Manu Khajuria Singh explained that her book focuses on identity through folklore, oral traditions and female-centric narratives from Jammu’s mountainous heritage. She also shared details about her Authorship Cohort and read selected excerpts.
The event included an interactive session with participants. Among those present were Prof Dushyant Kumar Rai, Prof Anil Gupta, Dr Pardeep Bali, Dr Ramiyan, Dr Ravia Gupta and Dr Kunwerjit.
The proceedings were conducted by Azmit Begum while Deepti Padmanabhan presented the vote of thanks.
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