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Satara to host 99th Akhil Bhartiya Marathi Sahitya Sammelan
The 99th 'Akhil Bhartiya Marathi Sahitya Sammelan' will be held in Satara, marking the city's fourth time as host and its first in 32 years.
The announcement came after a unanimous decision by the Akhil Bhartiya Marathi Sahitya Mahamandal during its meeting in Pune on Sunday, June 8. The responsibility of organising this grand literary event has been entrusted to the Shahupuri branch of the Maharashtra Sahitya Parishad in Satara, along with the Mavla Foundation.
The selection of Satara followed a structured process. A venue selection committee, formed specifically for this purpose, visited all applicant institutions. Proposals to host the meeting were received from Sadanand Sahitya Mandal (Audumbar), Maharashtra Sahitya Parishad Ichalkaranji Branch, Dakshin Maharashtra Sahitya Sabha (Kolhapur), and the Shahupuri branch of Maharashtra Sahitya Parishad (Satara).
After site visits, the committee convened on the morning of June 8 in Pune and unanimously chose Satara as the venue. This decision was ratified in a subsequent meeting of the Mahamandal, presided over by Prof Milind Joshi, president of the Marathi Sahitya Mahamandal. Also present were vice president Gurayya Swami, secretary Sunitaraje Pawar, and treasurer Vinod Kulkarni. However, the dates for the event are yet to be finalised.
Prof Milind Joshi expressed his thoughts on Satara receiving this honour again.
'Satara is getting the opportunity to host this prestigious literary gathering after 32 years. The last time was in 1993, under the presidency of Vidyadhar Gokhale. This honour is the result of persistent efforts by the Shahupuri branch over the past 12 years,' he said.
The city first hosted the event in 1905, with Raghunath Pandurang Karandikar presiding. It later hosted the 44th meet in 1962 under the presidency of NV Gadgil, and the 66th meet in 1993 under Vidyadhar Gokhale.
The event will take place at Chhatrapati Shahu Stadium, the same venue used in 1993. Spread over 14 acres, the stadium will feature the main pavilion, two additional pavilions, a large-scale book exhibition, and designated spaces for poetry and ghazal sessions, along with food arrangements.
