Kitab Jatra New Delhi Festival 2026: Fifth Edition Strengthens India-Nepal Cultural Ties

The 5th Kitab Jatra New Delhi Festival 2026 at PHD House showcased India-Nepal cultural links through books, dialogue, and shared literary work. Key speakers included diplomats, writers, and publishers, emphasising translation and regional identity as bridges for bilateral cooperation.

The 5th edition of the Kitab Jatra New Delhi Festival 2026 was successfully organised at PHD House, New Delhi, reinforcing the cultural and literary ties between India and Nepal. The festival was co-organised by the Kitab Yatra Foundation (Kathmandu, Nepal) and the BP Koirala India-Nepal Foundation (Embassy of Nepal in India) under the aegis of the India-Nepal Centre, with PHDCCI serving as the industry partner.

The initiative aimed to deepen bilateral cooperation through literature, dialogue, and cultural exchange, bringing together writers, diplomats, policymakers, publishers, and journalists from both countries.

Ambassador Dr Shankar Sharma, Ambassador of Nepal to India, attended the event as the Chief Guest and Keynote Speaker, highlighting the role of literature and cultural engagement in strengthening people-to-people connections between India and Nepal.

Among the distinguished speakers were Ambassador Manjeev Singh Puri, Former Indian Ambassador to Nepal and Chair, India-Nepal Centre, PHDCCI; Atul K. Thakur, Senior Secretary, India-Nepal Centre, PHDCCI; Yugal Joshi, Author and Programme Director at NITI Aayog; Anand Jha, Vice President (Head of Government Engagement: India & South Asia), Visa Inc.; Akanshya Shah, Senior Journalist; Nirmal Kanti Bhattacharjee, Editorial Director, Niyogi Books; Tikaram Yatri, Senior Journalist; Sama Thapa, Senior Journalist; Nayan Raj Pandey, Author; Amar Neupane, Author; Anurag Basnet, Editor, Translator and Author; Mahesh Babu Timalsina, Poet; Mallika Shakya, Poetess; Viplob Pratik, Poet; Dr Shreedhar Khana, Author and Rishi Ram Adhikari, Director, Kitab Jatra Festival among others.

The festival featured panel discussions, literary conversations, and poetry sessions that explored the shared literary traditions of India and Nepal, the global presence of Nepali literature, translation as a bridge between cultures, and the evolving role of storytelling in shaping regional identity.

The organisers noted that the Kitab Jatra New Delhi Festival continues to serve as an important platform for intellectual exchange and cultural dialogue between the two countries. By bringing together voices from literature, media, diplomacy, and publishing, the festival seeks to strengthen cross-border understanding and celebrate the region's rich literary heritage.