A two-day celebration of the Urdu language, titled Jashn-e-Rekhta, is underway this weekend at Delhi’s India International Centre.

More than sixty Urdu writers, poets and performers from Pakistan, India, US and Canada have converged to explore various facets of Urdu through live performances, panel discussions and interactive sessions. The open-to-all festival features the likes of Ajmal Kamal, Amjad Islam Amjad, Asif Farrukhi, Intizar Hussain and Zia Mohyeddin from Pakistan.

The panel discussions are touching upon topics as far-ranging as the convergence and divergence of Urdu and Hindi, the word of women in the Urdu language and Urdu in the age of the Internet. Performances include qawwalis with Dhruv Sangari & Group, a ghazal evening with Radhika Chopra and Ustad Hamid Ali Khan and a play based on short stories by Manto.

The IIC is one of India’s premier cultural institutions, which seeks to promote understanding and amity between the different communities of the world. Its endeavor to promote Urdu and encourage people to learn and appreciate the language is a worthy cause, especially since given that modern languages face increasing threats of corruption.

Jashn-e-Rekhta runs from Saturday, March 14 to Sunday, March 15.