MARIA'S PUBLIC SCHOOL

The award ceremony for the 26th MAH Literary Festival and Awards was organised on September 3, 2026 at the Sri Sri Damodardev International Auditorium in the premises of Sankardev Kalakshetra, Guwahati.

The honorable Chief Minister of Assam Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma had kindly consented to grace the occasion as the Chief Guest. But unfortunately, he couldn’t attend the ceremony as he had to leave for Dergaon for an urgent matter and sent his regrets and a message.

The Guest of Honour of the award function was Mrs Chetana Das, the Sangeet Natak Akademi Awardee 2026 and the versatile comedy queen of Assamese Cinema who has also acted in several Bollywood films.

In the ceremony, the Mofizuddin Ahmed Hazarika Memorial Kavya Award 2026 was conferred on Prof. Anjalee Basumatary, renowned poet and litterateur who was honoured with the Sahitya Akademi Award (Boro) in 2016.

Both the Kavya Awardee and the Guest of Honour Prof Anjalee Basumatary and the iconic comedy queen Mrs Chetana Das respectively applauded the Founder and Managing Trustee, Maria’s Public School Mrs Nellie Ahmed, the MAH Memorial Committee and the entire Marian family for hosting this mega event. A captivating moment was when Prof Anjalee Basumatary recited a poem of the Gyanmalini Kobi translating it into Boro.

Principal Mausumi Mahanta accorded a warm welcome to the audience comprising invited guests, parents, representatives of schools and media houses, the student awardees and teachers of Maria’s Public Schools.

In her address to the gathering, Mrs Ahmed, said, “Through this Fest, we have also endeavoured to bridge the gap between government and private schools. We invite and encourage students from both government and private institutions to participate in these literary exercises. In doing so, the Fest has embodied the spirit of the National Education Policy 2020, which emphasises collaboration and partnership between government and private educational institutions to bridge the public-private divide.”

Retired Professor and HoD of Geography, Cotton University Dr Mahfuza Rahman, a granddaughter of Mofizuddin Ahmed Hazarika delved deeper into the life and philosophy of the poet and related a few anecdotes of his life. Prof. Shiela Bora, Professor & Adviser and Dean in-charge, Royal School of Humanities and Social Sciences (RSHSS) & Royal School of Behavioral and Allied Sciences (RSBAS) and a grandson of the commemorated poet, Mr Asad Zaman also graced the occasion as special guests.

The inter-school competitions for the Mofizuddin Ahmed Hazarika Literary Fest and Awards 2026 were organised on August 21 and 22, 2026. Like the previous years, the two-day fest brimmed with competitions across four languages – Assamese, Hindi, Sanskrit and English. This year, student participants from 25 schools, including Maria’s Public School joined in the competitions – Hafez Phuloni (Assamese Recitation), Xomonnoi (Assamese Poem Depiction Through Art), Swaranjali (Hindi Recitation), Geervani (Sanskrit Recitation), The Ink Horns (English Creative Writing), haiku MOMENTS (haiku Writing in English), War of Words (Debate Competition in English), Anubhuti (On the Spot Poem Writing in Assamese), Aatmon (Creative Writing in Assamese), Speech Craft (Recitation in English), Musings (Poem Writing in English) and Ekok Obhinoy (Mono Act).

It was indeed a spectacular sight to witness when budding literary talents of different schools across the city, both from government and private sectors walked to the stage to collect their trophies and certificates.

This year a new award was instituted in English Creative Writing Competition in memory of MPS alumnus late Syed Dareen Hannash of AISSE Batch of 2021 by his family for the first best entries. Dareen was a gifted writer who touched hearts by his writing prowess and pleasant demeanour.

The running trophy in memory of Late Jugal Kishore Choudhury for English recitation was given away by retired professor of Cotton College Mr Ranjit Choudhury to the English recitation team of Maria’s Public School for accumulating maximum winning points.

What began in 2001 as a tribute to Assamese sufi poet, Mofizuddin Ahmed Hazarika (1870–1958) of the Jonaki era, the Mofizuddin Ahmed Hazarika Literary Fest has now grown into a vibrant confluence of languages, creativity and cultural expression. The MAH Literary Festival has, over the years, become more than just an event — it is a melting pot of ideas, voices and heritage that celebrates literary brilliance while keeping roots alive.

Worth mentioning that Mrs. Nellie Ahmed, the Founder and Managing Trustee, Maria’s Public School and a granddaughter of the Gyanmalini Kobi, instituted the Mofizuddin Ahmed Hazarika Memorial Kavya Award, to honour accomplished poets and writers of Assam in 2020, on the occasion of the poet’s 150th birth anniversary. The first recipient was the eminent poet and artist Dr. Nilima Thakuria Haque. Though the celebrations had to be virtual due to the pandemic, the occasion retained its grandeur. In subsequent years, the award was conferred upon Teresa Rahman, Shri Sameer Tanti, Shri Tarun Baruah, and Shri Nilim Kumar — all distinguished voices in literature. In 2025, the honour was bestowed upon Dr. Lutfa Hanum Salima Begum, an internationally acclaimed poet.

In sync with the award ceremony, a few cultural items were also performed by students as well as teachers guided by Mrs Nandita Barua, Mrs Tulika Bharadwaj, Mr Sarangapani Mishra, Mrs Shrutimala Medhi and Mrs Malati Rajput.