Fifth edition to celebrate “Bharat Rising” on 24–25 October at Radisson Blu, Coimbatore. The event will be graced by two distinguished chief guests, Thiru. Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar, Honorable Governor of Tamilnadu and Shri Sarbananda Sonowal, Honorable Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways. Her Highness Padmasri Padmanabha Sevini Ashwathi Thirunal Gowri Lakshmi Bayi, a distinguished member of the Travancore Royal Family, will grace the occasion as the Special Guest of Honour. 

Coimbatore: The Verandah Club will host the fifth edition of the Western Ghats Lit Fest on 24 and 25 October 2026 at Radisson Blu, Coimbatore, bringing together authors, scholars, artists, journalists and public intellectuals for two days of conversations celebrating “Bharat Rising.” This year’s festival marks a significant expansion in scale, with a new venue that can accommodate a larger gathering, a distinguished speaker line-up and wider associations with institutions advancing Indian Knowledge Systems (IKS) and Indian Culture.

Thiru. Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar, Honorable Governor of Tamilnadu, will also present the second edition of the Verandah SMaRT Awards, honouring individuals and organisations for their remarkable contributions and achievements. Who will be taking home the honours this year? Stay tuned as we unveil the awardees!

Shri Sarbananda Sonowal, Hon’ble Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Government of India, is expected to grace the festival. His participation adds national prominence to an edition that brings literature, culture, scholarship and public affairs onto a shared platform.

Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) adds a significant academic dimension to this year’s festival, with Vice-Chancellor Prof. Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit and Prof. J. Jeganaathan from School of International Studies among the announced speakers.

The festival’s knowledge partnerships with Anaadi Foundation, Vyūha Learning Labs & Bṛhat further strengthen its engagement with India’s intellectual and civilisational traditions. INTACH Coimbatore chapter as the heritage partner brings in the heritage depth to the event. Bringing together organisations working across IKS, education and culture, these associations enrich conversations on the relevance of Indian knowledge to contemporary life. Alongside the move to Radisson Blu, this expanding network marks an important step in the festival’s growth as a national forum for ideas rooted in Bharat.

The announced line-up of 36 speakers includes Dr. Anand Ranganathan, Ami Ganatra, Padma Shri awardee Dr. Ananda Shankar Jayant, Dr. R. Balasubramaniam, INDICA founder Hari Kiran Vadlamani, Princess Lakshmi Bayi of Travancore, Nitin Gokhale, Nandini Sengupta, Saiswaroopa Iyer, Sanjeev Sanyal, Shehzad Poonawalla, Tuhin Sinha and M. R. Venkatesh, among others. Their varied backgrounds will bring perspectives from Literature, Geo-Politics, History, Economics, National Security, the Arts and Public Policy.

Through keynote addresses, panel discussions, book launches and cultural engagements, the festival will explore the relationship between Bharat’s civilisational inheritance and its future. The programme aims to connect readers and audiences with thinkers who examine Bharat’s stories, traditions and contemporary challenges. All the five editions have been curated by writer and cultural commentator Shefali Vaidya.

The fifth edition builds on four years of sustained growth. From an audience of around 500, the festival grew to more than 1,200 attendees in its fourth edition and has hosted over 50 book launches across its previous editions. Its second edition was an official event partner to the G20 Y20 India chairmanship, while the fourth introduced the Verandah-Smart Awards to recognise Bharatiya achievers. This year too the awards are being presented to the achievers selected by the jury. Arthasasthra – a Policy Forum by The Verandah Club is also to be launched during the 5th edition of the Western Ghats Lit Fest. There is a lot of buzz and huge expectations around the 5th edition. Earlier editions also reached over million viewers through live streaming.

The Verandah Club, a Coimbatore-based initiative founded by Jaganathan S is dedicated to sharing and celebrating Bharat’s cultural heritage, organises the Western Ghats Lit Fest as its flagship literary and cultural gathering. With its expanded institutional associations and new setting, the 2026 edition continues that mission on a larger stage.