“Vine Festival” and Kavi Sammelan

March 24, 2016: I returned to Kolkata from a South Asian trip on Sunday evening. From the airport I went to The Taj Bengal for a dinner hosted by the hotel's General Manager, Samrat Datta.

It was a seven-course dinner at the Banquet Terrace Gardens for the 3rd International Vine and Food Experience - Gout de France / Good France project. The arrangements were excellent, however, the downside was the humid outdoor weather. It would have been better off indoors. It got over late as it was a seven-course dinner.

With Sailesh Lodha and Arun Gemini at the Kavi Sammelan

On Monday I attended the Kavi Sammelan organized by Sanskriti Sagar in collaboration with Prabha Khaitan Foundation. The participating poets were Arun Gemini, Dinesh Diggaj, Rajendra Malviya Aalsi, Mumtaz Naseem, Shailendra Sahu and my friend of Taarak Mehta fame Shailesh Lodha. Every year, I am a regular at the Kavi Sammelan but this year Prabha Khaitan Foundation has formally collaborated for the event.

At the Kavi Sammelan

I invited quite a few of my friends for the Kavi Sammelan. As expected, Shailesh Lodha was a big hit, especially his poetry on his childhood “Miss karta hoon”. After the Kavi Sammelan I met the poets as well.

This year also I stayed away from playing Holi with colours. Somehow, I am saddened with what is going on in the country and all over the world. The global news of Brussels terror blast and other small issues weighed heavy in my mind and I did not feel like playing with colours. Well this is part of life and we all have to live with it.

ess bee