DEHRADUN, Oct. 26 -- The ninth edition of the Valley of Words (VoW) Festival began here on Saturday. The venue, Hotel Madhuban with a day filled with literature, art, music, and conversation, reaffirming its legacy as India's premier celebration of words, wisdom, and creative thought. Hosted across Main Stage, Words, and Shabdavali, alongside its lush lawns and corridors, Day 1 offered a seamless blend of reflection, performance, and intellectual engagement that celebrated the cultural soul of the Doon Valley.

The festival opened with a powerful inauguration commemorating Guru Tegh Bahadur, marking 350 years of his supreme sacrifice for the right to religious freedom. The ceremony, themed "Sees Diya, Sirar Na Diya", set a deeply spiritua...