Historian Meenakshi Jain to receive Mangaluru Lit Fest Award
Renowned historian, Padma Shri awardee and Rajya Sabha member Meenakshi Jain will be conferred the Mangaluru Lit Fest Award 2026 at the eighth edition of the Mangaluru Literature Festival, to be held on January 10 and 11 at the Dr T.M.A. Pai International Convention Centre.
Organised by the Bharath Foundation, the two-day festival is dedicated to fostering intellectual engagement around the “Idea of Bharat” and has grown into a prominent national platform for dialogue across disciplines. The award ceremony will be accompanied by a special interactive session with Jain, offering audiences an opportunity to engage directly with her scholarship and perspectives.
The festival will open on January 10 with an inaugural ceremony attended by eminent thinkers including Shatavadhani Dr R. Ganesh, Meenakshi Jain, Captain Brijesh Chowta, Ravi S. of the Mythic Society, and Dr Ajakkala Girish Bhat.
This year’s programme features more than 70 speakers and a wide-ranging set of discussions. Strategic and geopolitical themes will be addressed by former R&AW chief Vikram Sood, Ambassador Ruchira Kamboj, Dr Sriparna Pathak, Dr Swasti Rao, journalist Aditya Raj Kaul, and Dr Biddanda Chengappa. Their sessions will explore shifting global power equations and India’s neighbourhood diplomacy.
Civilisational and philosophical themes will be discussed in a session on Bharateeya thought in a globalised world by Ambassador T.S. Tirumurti, Dr Sreeram Chaulia, and Vijeth Kanahalli.
Literature and culture form a major pillar of the festival.
A tribute session to Padmabhushan Dr S.L. Bhyrappa will reflect on his literary legacy, while Kannada and Sanskrit scholars will examine the role of literature in shaping values. Media professionals including Smita Prakash, Padmaja Joshi, and Surabhi Hodigere will debate the impact of digital news platforms.
Cinema and creative expression will be explored through discussions featuring filmmaker P. Sheshadri, actor Malavika Avinash, and other artists. A traditional puppet show by Ujjwala Krishnaraj will provide a cultural highlight.
The organisers have announced that entry to all sessions is free, and a special book exhibition and sale will be open to visitors throughout the festival.
