She highlighted Delhi Government efforts to celebrate diverse regional festivals.
Delhi CM Rekha Gupta Launches Shabdotsav 2026, Hails India’s Culture
On Friday, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta inaugurated the three-day Delhi Shabdotsav 2026 cultural and literary festival at Major Dhyan Chand Stadium, India Gate, highlighting India’s rich civilisational roots as its enduring strength. Gupta said the festival reflects India’s engagement with its past, present and future, and emphasised that “Times change, but the soul of India is eternal.” She noted that while modernity is important, it must be aligned with cultural values to sustain the nation’s civilisational essence.
The chief minister said that the theme of the festival, “Bharat Abhyudaya”, mirrors India’s rise as a cultural, economic, strategic and political power rooted in its traditions. She highlighted Delhi Government efforts to celebrate diverse regional festivals like Chhath, Ganesh Chaturthi, Durga Puja, Kanwar Yatra and Diwali, describing the capital as a living example of “Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat”.
Union Minister of State Harsh Malhotra said at the inauguration that the festival goes beyond books to showcase India’s ancient and living cultural heritage, citing institutions such as Nalanda and Takshashila as symbols of India’s historical role as a global centre of knowledge. He stressed that true education is incomplete without cultural values.
Delhi’s Art, Culture, Language and Tourism Minister Kapil Mishra described the event as an “ideological strike” against violence and extremist thought, declaring it part of a cultural revival under Gupta’s leadership.
According to the Delhi government, Shabdotsav features over 100 speakers, the launch of more than 40 books, participation from around 50 colleges, poetry forums, cultural performances and open forums, with nearly 60,000 registrations recorded. Officials said the government plans to expand the festival into an annual flagship event.
Source: Times of India
