India: The international literary and cultural festival “Vishwarang Sri Lanka 2025” concluded with remarkable success in Colombo, setting a new milestone for South Asian cultural cooperation and charting the global future of the Hindi language. Jointly hosted by the Vishwarang Foundation (India), Rabindranath Tagore University (RNTU), Bhopal, and the Swami Vivekananda Cultural Centre (SVCC), Indian High Commission, Colombo, the two-day festival became a vibrant platform of dialogue, performances, and exchanges between India, Sri Lanka, and Southeast Asia.
The grand inauguration ceremony was graced by the presence of Hon. Shri Hiniduma Sunil Senavi, Minister of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs, Sri Lanka; H.E. Shri Santosh Jha, High Commissioner of India to Sri Lanka; Shri Pavan K. Varma, distinguished author, diplomat, and former Member of Parliament; Shri Santosh Choubey, Director of Vishwarang and Chancellor, RNTU; and Shri Ankurana Dutta, Director, Swami Vivekananda Cultural Centre, Colombo. Their collective presence underscored the cultural and diplomatic importance of the event.
Delivering the keynote, Shri Santosh Choubey highlighted that Hindi is today the third most spoken language in the world, strengthened by decades of dedicated efforts. He emphasized that “many new paths are now open for Hindi to take its rightful place at the global stage.” Guest of Honour Shri Pavan K. Varma, noted author, diplomat, and parliamentarian, warned that the “extinction of a language is the extinction of an entire culture—its lullabies, idioms, songs, and wisdom vanish with it.”
The Chief Guest, H.E. Shri Santosh Jha, underlined that the festival ha9s strengthened cultural bridges between the two nations. Echoing this, Hon. Shri Hiniduma Sunil Senavi expressed pride in the event and affirmed the Sri Lankan government’s support for promoting Hindi in schools and universities. The welcome address was delivered by Shri Ankurana Dutta and Dr. Aditi Chaturvedi Vats, Director (social media), Vishwarang Foundation.
Over two days, the festival hosted rich academic deliberations and panel discussions on subjects such as cultural coordination in South Asia, similarities of regional languages, challenges faced by Hindi learners abroad, and the employment potential of Hindi as a foreign language. Eminent scholars and educationists from India and Sri Lanka brought depth to these sessions, ensuring that the festival combined vision with intellectual rigor.
The festival also became a stage for important literary launches, including “Vishwa Mein Hindi” (a report on Hindi in 65 countries), “Sinhala–Hindi Dictionary”, and Sri Lanka’s Hindi Samachar Patrika. During the closing ceremony, several new books and magazines were also released, further enriching the literary exchange. The prestigious Vishwa Rang Bhasha Samman was conferred upon Smt. Vasantha Padmini and Shri Sangeeth Ratnayake for their exceptional contribution to the promotion of Hindi in Sri Lanka.
Evenings came alive with colorful cultural performances—from India’s Kathak and Bharatanatyam to Sri Lanka’s Wes Dance and Kandyan Duet Dance—celebrating the shared traditions of both nations. Hundreds of Sri Lankan students enthusiastically participated in the Closing ceremony of Vishwa Rang International Hindi Olympiad, alongside workshops, poetry recitations, and creative competitions, ensuring that the youth remained at the heart of the celebration.
At the emotional closing ceremony, Shri Santosh Choubey reminded the audience that this was not a farewell but a promise. “We are not saying goodbye today. We return with the resolve of ‘Phir Milenge’—we will meet again with new heights, new ideas, and new colours,” he declared, capturing the spirit of continuity and hope that defined Vishwarang Sri Lanka 2025.
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