[[[[[[[[[[[[[[al]14[/al]al]13[/al]al]12[/al]al]11[/al]al]10[/al]al]9[/al]al]8[/al]al]7[/al]al]6[/al]al]5[/al]al]4[/al]al]3[/al]al]2[/al]al]1[/al]Renowned Hindi poet Jyoti Sahni returned to her hometown of Mandi on Sunday to launch her third poetry collection, Satya, in an event that celebrated both literary tradition and diasporic identity. The launch took place at the District Institute of Education and Training (DIET) auditorium and drew a distinguished audience of literary figures, officials, and community members.
Sahni, who now resides in New Jersey, USA, continues to maintain strong ties to her roots in Himachal Pradesh. The event marked a symbolic homecoming for the poet, who named the collection after her mother, Satya Devi.
District Language Officer Revati Saini served as the chief guest, with prominent author Dr. Gangaram Raji presiding over the function. Supreme Court senior advocate Pandit Manohar Lal attended as special guest. The book was formally released by Satya Devi, joined by Revati Saini, Dr. Raji, Pandit Lal, and academician Dr. Vijay Vishal.
In her remarks, Revati Saini praised Sahni’s dedication to preserving cultural identity across continents. “Jyoti Sahni embodies the spirit of literary continuity. She carries forward the legacy of her grandfather, scholar Pandit Bhavani Dutt Shastri, and her mother, Satya Devi, by passing these values to the next generation,” she said.
Addressing the audience, Sahni reflected on her emotional bond with her homeland. “Though I live in the United States, my soul belongs to Mandi. The mountains of Himachal call to me constantly,” she said, noting that her grandfather’s translations of sacred texts into the Mandi dialect had a profound influence on her poetic voice.
Literary critic Murari Sharma provided an interpretive reading of Satya, describing the collection as a window into the diaspora experience. “Through Sahni’s work, we encounter the emotional resonance of memory, longing, and cultural identity,” he said.
Dr. Raji commended Sahni for preserving a rich literary heritage, while Pandit Manohar Lal emphasized the social responsibility of writers to remain truthful and politically independent.
The event was curated by Sarita Sharma, who welcomed the audience and extended thanks to participants and attendees. Sahni was joined by her mother, husband Jeetan Sahni, daughter Tanisha, son Harshul, and other family members. Renowned folk singer Krishna Thakur served as the host for the evening.
Multilingual Recital Highlights Cultural Diversity
The book launch was followed by a multilingual poetry recital featuring voices from across the region. Poets who shared their work included Krishan Chander Mahadevia, Pawan Chauhan, Rattan Lal Sharma, Surender Mishra, Dr. Rakesh Kapoor, Jagdish Kapoor, Murari Sharma, Priyamvada Sharma, Latesh Kumar, Rajender Thakur, Nirmala Chandel, Krishna Thakur, Vidya Sharma, Purnesh Gautam, Shukla Sharma, Vijay Vishal, Manohar Anmol, Savita Kumari, among others.
The evening served as a celebration of the enduring emotional and cultural connections between members of the Indian diaspora and their homeland — a theme echoed throughout Sahni’s poetry.
