Nainital, Nov 15 : Returning to a physical form after a three-year-long hiatus, the Himalayan Echoes Literature Festival, in its two-day ninth edition beginning in Nainital on Saturday, will go beyond words to encompass music, environment, conservation, sustainability, and arts from the greater Himalayan region extending all the way to Bhutan.

The special features of this year's festival include nine-year-old artiste Karma Demath, who will accompany her father, Pema Samdrup, the senior musician of Bhutan's Royal Academy of Performing Arts, in taking the programme to a primary peak with a performance of mountain songs, Himalayan chronicler Dr Shekhar Pathak launching his latest - and timely - book "Himank aur Kwathnank ke Beech", based on his decadal trek to map changes in the terrain in an era of climate change, and former diplomat-turned best-selling author Vikas Swarup on his new thriller.

Other highlights will include sessions by Nepalese economist and Himalayan Future Forum convenor Sujeev Shakya, his compatriot and cookbook writer Rohini Rana, and botanist S Natesh, who will expound on India's ecological heritage through 75 iconic trees he has visited.

The festival, founded by author and social entrepreneur Janhavi Prasad and mentored by renowned author and JLF co-director Namita Gokhale, is meant for meaningful dialogues about the Himalayas, and to promote books, poetry, and research associated with the majestic mountains. However, its aim is, by no means, not limited to the literary realm but also showcases the cultural diversity and unity of the Himalayan people and local and regional art, craft, and farm produce.

The venue is the heritage homestay, Abbotsford House, the home to the Prasada family.

Terming the festival "a celebration of mountain voices from across the northern belt of India", Prasada says it is the only mountain festival with environment as its basic motif. She says the theme of this edition is "C.A.L.M " or "Creativity. Art. Literature. Mountains post-pandemic".

"Himalayan Echoes is a joyous and inspirational festival rooted in the culture and heritage of the mountains. C.A.L.M. celebrates the creativity, art, literature and music of the Himalayan region," Gokhale adds.

The festival will also have Anju Khanna, the mentor of the Khushali Project for village social empowerment in Ramgarh, elaborating on the success of their programme and how it can be replicated in other regions, while Chetan Mahajan from the Himalayan Writers Retreat will be conducting a writing workshop, focussed on the next generation, along with Mayur "Foodie - Highway on My Plate" Sharma and Jennifer Nandi, engaging with local schools for student interactions.

While local Kumaon delicacies will be on the table, a Kumaon Bazaar will be put up to showcase some regional wellness products, award-winning knitwear brands that involve mountain village women, handicrafts, and trademark art by Kumaon's 'Aipan' girl Minakshi Khati.

The festival is slated to end on a high note with a performance of Cholia, the warrior dancers of Kumaon.

The ethos of the festival is aptly described by Dr Pathak, who quips: "Himalayan Echoes connects humans with literature and nature together. Any distancing between them must be avoided."

/IANS