Shivani Goswami

IR3006

 The Ahmedabad old city has this beautiful charm of taking what exists and making it its own. Gujarati literature has flourished there since the past, but sadly, people today, under the influence of foreign culture, are losing the essence and beauty of Gujarati literature. Gujarati literature is among the most important treasures of Gujarati culture that defines its unique identity. The program creates a Gujarati literature library that revives and provides a platform for events promoting and engaging the youth. It creates awareness in Gujarati literature among the communities around, aiming to increase the interest through public participation. Kavi Dalpatram, a reformist poet, also played a major role in the promotion of the Gujarati language, has a memorial located near his house, which is also a part of the Ahmedabad Heritage walk signifying the importance of Language to culture of Gujarat. His plays and recitations are enthusiastically performed on occasions like his birthday, world reading day, etc. at the chowk outside his house in Lambeshwar Pol, aptly now called the Kavi Dalpatram chowk. The street side bookstores, under Fernandes Bridge already have a culture where kids who cannot afford to buy those books can sit under the bridge and read these books there. Their experience of reading between the chaotic crowds, in the daylight of the street, already is different, which connects them to the street above and below. This library would give people the opportunity and space to spend more time with Gujarati Literature. It includes a digital and regular library, and also includes magazines, newspapers, and archival material.. The interactive event space would host different Gujarati plays, open mics, book readings, kavi sammelans, lectures, competitions, etc. It would be an open platform for learning, participation and performance. The library will also have different experiential spaces ranging from formal, semi-formal to informal courtyard spaces where light and visually connected spaces, courtyard spaces, projected windows, open to sky and private corners would all co-exist. This would layer fun and learnings whilst bringing the people closer to Gujarati literature. This space will open a new vista into the world of Gujarati literature.