Tryst with the Arts: Navya's Account of her H.L.F experience

P. Navya: All Decked up in H.L.F colours

With Amita Desai Ma'am and Jhilam Ma'am

Being a part of the Hyderabad literary festival 2017 was a privileged experience. I had a fantastic time in those three days. The first day, when I went for site-seeing at the Hyderabad Public School, Amardeep Sir termed us as the "Ambassadors" of the H.L.F. That got me really eager about joining the H.L.F. team. Kinnera Ma'am's insistence on the importance of punctuality was a vital lesson that held us in good stead over the three days of the festival.

The fest felt more like a picnic than anything else; we thoroughly enjoyed doing the tasks we were assigned. I was a part of the workshop committee.  Most of the workshops were regarding arts and crafts. After watching those workshops, I truly believe that art comes from the heart. Another thing that the workshops, and the general artistic atmosphere around the festival made me feel was that the surrounding that see is not our entire world. If we once come out from the world we inhabit on a daily basis, we learn just how much more there is to be explored.

Some New Friends!

I never felt exhausted doing my work, because I had such a wonderful time doing it. Interacting with different people, co-coordinating with different college friends, and communicating with the various artists at the fest was one of the most valuable experiences for me.

The workshop I was specifically assigned for was the ‘Silambam Workshop’ conducted by Aishwarya Manivannam on martial arts. Silambam translates into 'stick', and is an art form traditionally practiced by the Tamil community. Her performances were lively and simply took my breath away. People lined up to attend the workshop after watching her performance, and we soon ran out of seats. She gave a detailed explanation about the Martial Arts and its importance.

A life-altering experience indeed!

Apart from the workshops, I also liked the exhibition and the film screenings. The food was absolutely delicious, and everyone at the fest was kind and cooperative. I feel blessed to have had a chance to be a part of the H.L.F. 2017. I thank Kinnera ma’am and the H.L.F. team for giving me such a wonderful opportunity. I thank my college, and the Quills Literary Club for opening up this wonderful experience for me.