Mussoorie Moutain Festival begins from today

It’s back with a bang in a new avatar — the Mussoorie Writers’ Mountain Festival (MWMF) is now the Mussoorie Mountain Festival (MMF). The three-day gala event will kick off on Thursday with the screening of selected films from the Banff Mountain Film Festival world tour and a music concert by Naga Folk and Blues performer Rewben Mashangva.

The eighth edition of the festival is being organised by Hanifl Centre for Outdoor and Environmental Study of Woodstock School, which brings together distinguished authors, photographers, mountaineers and conservationists.

Stating that since the theme this year is “conservation” in all spheres — such as wildlife, flora and fauna, etc — festival director K Krishnan Kutty said, “We have one artist who will speak on restoring art in a monastery; so, conservation will be the crux of this event, which is being presented by those who have special affinity with the Himalayas and mountain ranges.”
From panel discussions to storytelling and open dialogue on various topics to photographic exhibitions — the focus will on the conservation of the Himalayas and other mountain ranges of the world.

The festival has a rich historical legacy, and in its eighth edition seems to have come into its own with a strong focus on the mountains.

Initially founded with an aim to promote and celebrate Mussoorie’s literary heritage, the festival redefined itself to become a broader mountain festival with its core being a community celebration of the Himalayan culture, natural history and exploration.

During the festival, a mountain lover has a lot to choose from — talks on ‘Legend and Lore of Spiti’ by Kishore Thukral; ‘Himalaya Bound: A Journey with Nomads in North India’ by Michael Benanav; and ‘How Climbing Everest Saved My Life’, an inspiring talk by Deshun Deysel, among many more.