Dehradun, Oct 24 (PTI) Former Uttarakhand chief minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank has developed a 'Writers' Village' (Lekhak Gaon) near Dehradun and is set to be inaugurated on Friday.
Former President Ram Nath Kovind, Uttarakhand Governor Lt Gen Gurmeet Singh (Retd) and Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami will jointly inaugurate the village.
It is a first-of-its-kind 'Writer's Village' of the country, located 24 km from Dehradun. Nishank said that many stalwarts like the Central Board of Film Certification Chairman Prasoon Joshi and writer Mamta Kalia will gather during the inaugural ceremony which will be celebrated as a three-day International Literature, Art and Culture Festival.
He said that people related to writing, art and culture from more than 65 countries will be directly and indirectly involved in the event. Out of this, people from 40 countries are coming to attend the event in-person, including the students who want to interact with the writers.
A total of 30 sessions will be organised in the event, covering topics related to writing, culture, nature and art.
"The Himalayas have always been a centre of inspiration. There is something in this land that people take inspiration from and make their name in the world,'' Nishank said.
When asked how he got the inspiration for Lekhak Gaon, Nishank said that it was born out of the 'pain' that the former Prime Minister Late Atal Bihari Vajpayee had felt.
Nishank said, "Atal ji was very upset that the writers in the country are not respected enough."
The writer's village includes amenities like a library, meditation-yoga centre, auditorium, Himalayan museum, Sanjeevani Bhojanalaya, Nakshatra Vatika and Graha Vatika where writers can give the best form to their creativity by staying in the writing cottage.