Written by Intern Rency Gomes || Team Allycaral
Day 3 of the Goa Book Festival 2026 witnessed a powerful convergence of inspiration, intellect and imagination, highlighted by an electrifying interaction with astronaut Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, AC, who addressed over 1,200 school students and took them on a journey beyond Earth.
“I travelled to space with a billion hearts with me. The sky was never the limit—not for me, not for you,” Shukla said, reflecting on his historic mission to the International Space Station. In a session moderated by Yuvraj Malik, Director, National Book Trust, India, the astronaut spoke candidly about fear, discipline, perseverance and the realities of life in space.
Sharing rare personal moments, he recalled the anxiety he felt during launch, likening it to opening an examination paper despite months of preparation. He described the intense physical strain of take-off, the mental challenge of isolation away from family, and the long process of relearning how to walk after returning to Earth. Through humour and videos, he brought space closer to students—sharing stories of playing basketball in zero gravity, walking on ceilings, momentarily forgetting gravity after returning, and listening to Vande Mataram while heading to the launch pad.
Answering questions from students, Shukla spoke about missing home-cooked food, coping with separation from family, and the importance of focusing on the present. He encouraged students to dream big, stay resilient and see setbacks as part of growth. Reflecting on identity, he said that beyond borders and planets, humanity shares a single home—Earth.
He also spoke about India’s space ambitions, including the Gaganyaan mission and plans for India’s own space station, telling students that the future of the nation’s space programme would be shaped by their aspirations.
The day also featured a felicitation ceremony, where Padma Shri Vinayak Khedekar and 52 eminent literary figures from Goa—including writers, poets, novelists and emerging authors—were honoured. The ceremony was attended by Prof. Milind Sudhakar Marathe, Chairman, NBT; Dr. Kiran Thakur, Chief Patron of the Goa Book Festival; and Kiran Kendre, Editor of Kishor magazine, among others.
At the Author’s Corner, the panel discussion “Konkani, Marathi, English: Multilingual Future of Goa” explored Goa’s layered linguistic identity, emphasising multilingualism as a lived cultural strength rather than a conflict. Speakers highlighted dialogue, balance and adaptability as key to preserving Goa’s linguistic harmony.
In “Ancient Stories, Modern Dreams,” author Shantanu Gupta reinterpreted the Ramayana as a framework for leadership, ethics and entrepreneurship, drawing parallels between Rama’s vanvaas and modern crises that demand resilience, responsibility and integrity.
The session “History as a Living Conversation” saw Mohan Shete, in conversation with Sanjay Chakanne, bring history alive through engaging narratives drawn from Anandmath and episodes from the life of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. By recounting battles such as Basrur and Palkhed, Shete reinforced the idea of history as a living dialogue shaping collective identity.
Filmmaker Chandraprakash Dwivedi, in conversation with Dev Kanya Thakur during “From Text to Screen: The Art of Adaptation,” reflected on transforming literature and history into visual narratives, emphasising research, inference and creative intuition. The session was attended by Sports Minister Ramesh Tawadkar, who later felicitated Dwivedi.
The Children’s Corner buzzed with energy as nearly 2,500 students participated in dance, movement and storytelling workshops. Activities blended learning with creativity, including digital literacy through the Rashtriya e-Pustakalaya platform, culminating with a staged presentation of the Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Saga.
Cultural evenings added vibrancy to the festival, with instrumental ensemble Maluhaa presenting immersive compositions blending Indian and Western classical traditions, followed by powerful folk and martial art performances by Team Mammalan from Puducherry, led by Padma Shri awardee Master Kalia Mamani K. Palanivel.
Day 3 of the Goa Book Festival 2026 stood out as a celebration of curiosity, courage and cultural continuity—where space science met storytelling, and ancient wisdom inspired modern dreams.
