Top News
Lucknow Literary Festival third edition to commence on Friday
Lucknow: The third edition of the Lucknow Literary Festival (LLF) will be starting on Friday in Uttar Pradesh.
At the three-day festival, Pandit Birju Maharaj will be felicitated with the Wajid Ali Shah Award.
The festival – an initiative of Lucknow Society – will witness a galaxy of writers, speakers, thinkers, poets and performers sharing one platform, the organisers told media.
The third edition of the festival, which will be held in the heart of the city at King George Medical University’s Scientific Convention Centre, is also set to showcase the famous ‘Lucknowi tehzeeb’ (etiquette) to its audience.
Entry to the festival is free and open to all, attracting visitors from across the globe, they said.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav will inaugurate the event Friday after which the festival will see discussions on art, culture, music and poetry.
It will also witness book launches, dance performances and cultural activities.
Eminent personalities like Namvar Singh, Ravinder Singh, Preeti Shenoy, Nandita Pandey, Naresh Saxena, Munawwar Rana, Richa Lakhera, Ipsita Halder, Gopaldas Neeraj, Salman Khurshid and Maulana Kaleem Siddiqui will be attending the event.
Shamim A. Arzoo, the organising secretary of the festival said: “The city of Lucknow has welcomed and supported the festival since it began. The literary tradition of our city is known to all and the occasion provides the opportunity to connect with new minds every year. We hope that the tradition of discussion and debate will further strengthen.”
Ravinder Singh’s upcoming book “Your Dreams are Mine’, Preeti Shenoy’s “It happens for a reason and Munawwar Rana’s “Teen Shehron Ka Chautha Aadmi” are some of the books that will be launched during the festival.
Qawali, Awadhi lokgeet, Kathak, and Ghazals would be some of the musical performances staged during the event.
Top News
Dr. Abhishek Verma Dedicates a Shelter in Memory of His Mother, Veena Verma, at KGMU; Inaugurated by Daughter Nicolle Verma
World-renowned business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has supported Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission. In memory of his mother, Late Veena Verma, who was a 3 term Rajya Sabha MP.
Dr. Verma dedicated a state-of-the-art free permanent shelter for the attendants of patients at KGMU Medical University, Lucknow, under the aegis of Vijay Shree Foundation. His daughter, Nicolle Verma, inaugurated the shelter.
During the event, Foodman Vishal Singh honored Nicolle Verma by presenting her with a memento. Mrs. Nidhi Sharma and Avantika Yadav, associated with the organization, welcomed her with garlands. Following this, Nicolle Verma distributed essential items to the attendants and also handed out fruits. She became emotional remembering her grandmother on her birth anniversary.
On this occasion, she also inaugurated the “Veena Verma Sevalaya” in memory of her grandmother, Veena Verma, to serve the attendants. She expressed, “I feel proud that my family is engaged in nation-building as well as social service. Today, in collaboration with Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh Ji, I feel immensely proud to dedicate this shelter for the poor, helpless, and needy attendants of patients battling serious illnesses like cancer. I am honored to be associated with the Hunger-Free World Mission for humanity.”
Inspired by the continuous humanitarian service provided by Vijay Shree Foundation over the past 17 years, Nicolle Verma donated 10 lakh rupees to support the cause. The purpose of this donation is to ensure that services continue for the needy attendants of patients suffering from severe illnesses in hospitals, as facilitated by Foodman Vishal Singh.
It is noteworthy that Dr. Abhishek Verma’s family has a legacy of public and philanthropic service. They are helping millions to carry forward the values and service work of their parents. On the occasion of his mother’s birth anniversary, Dr. Abhishek Verma dedicated this state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College to serve the attendants of patients through the Vijay Shree Foundation.
Supporting Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission, Dr. Abhishek Verma assured that he would continually support keeping this flame of humanity alive. He also promised to assist in providing medicines to the helpless patients.
Continuing her grandmother’s legacy of service, Nicolle Verma personally served food to the needy patients and attendants. She said, “It is our good fortune to have received the joy of doing this noble work today through Foodman Vishal Singh. I have taken another step forward in carrying my family’s values and cooperation by joining hands with the Vijay Shree Foundation. My father taught me to serve and help the needy, and I feel happy when I bring a smile to someone’s face.”
On the birth anniversary of the late Veena Verma, the event organizer, Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh, said, “We feel proud and happy that Dr. Abhishek Verma, a globally renowned business tycoon, has extended his support to uplift our country from the hunger index. Today, on his mother’s birth anniversary, he inaugurated a state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College, which will always be helpful for the needy attendants of patients. It is a pleasure for me and the organization to receive the affection of Mr. Verma.”
The event was attended by General Manager Verma Family Office Hemant Garg, Sonu Rajput, and the organization’s volunteers, including Sandeep Singh, Parmeshwar Ji, Prashant Rao Gautam, Balram Singh, Ramesh Chaudhary, Suman, Jeetu, Anil, Suraj, Vinay, Manish Bhadauria, Manas Mehrotra, Vivek, Apurv, Happy, and others.