Dateline Dehradun: The Poetry Cafe session of the 9th Valley of Words | Shabdavali Literature and Art Festival 2025, was convened on the inaugural day, October 25, 2025 of the Festival at the Madhuban Hotel in the Shabdawali Hall and featured a captivating inter-generational ensemble of five poets from Doon Valley.
The panel of poets represented a professional and educational cross-section of society, including an educationist, a lawyer, a wildlife activist, a psychologist, and an entrepreneur. The participants ranged from the octogenarian Ms. Harjit Lally to the youngest poet, Ms. Nikita Agarwal. They were joined by Mr. Ajay Jugraan, Ms. Dipanjali Singh, and Ms. Shubhra Pandey. The session was moderated by Ms. Aditi Bist from the Department of English, Doon University, Dehradun.
The session’s richness stemmed from the diverse and deeply personal themes presented by the poets:
Ms. Lally addressed topics considered traditionally taboo, including Infatuation, Sex, and Silence, underscoring the vital components of love that enrich the human experience. She also sung out a self-composed folk song dedicated to military wives awaiting their husbands return.
Mr. Jugraan began by reading a stirring poem focused on the vagaries of the Ukraine battlefield using the national flower of Ukraine, the sunflower, as a symbol. He followed that up with a love poem and ended with nature-inspired Haikus drawn from his recently published anthology, Haiku No Hanataba.
Ms. Pandey delivered an emotionally charged tribute to the martyrs of Operation Sindoor and their families, and a lyrical homage to her late mother.
Ms. Singh recited poems detailing the profound inspiration of her daughters, the muses for her creative work.
Ms. Agarwal brought out a contemporary focus, discussing the symbolic significance of the colour yellow and exploring, through verse, the mental health demons prevalent in the modern era.
The session was full of intermittent applause from the audience and ended similarly with many taking selfies and seeking autographs from the poets. The Poetry Cafe has been an a consistent part of the VoW schedule and has seen a growing fan-following with each passing tear.
