Chennai: The sixth edition of the SSF National Sahityotsav will begin on 2 October 2026 in Chennai, bringing together nearly 1,000 students from 26 states across India. The participants have earned their places through a series of competitions held at the sector, division, district, and state levels.
The festival will feature competitions in 130 events across eight categories, including campus-level events. *Chennai is being prepared* to welcome participants from across the country. Mansoor Haji, President of Tamil Nadu Muslim Jamaath, will inaugurate the festival by hoisting the flag. Writer and historian Kombai S. Anwar will formally inaugurate the event, with A. Rajmohan, Tamil Nadu Minister for Education, attending as the chief guest.
A special historical presentation titled ‘Hijra Expedition’ will be held on the evening of 2 October. The session will be inaugurated by Abdussalam Musliyar Devarshola, with Dr. Muhammad Farooq Naeemi Al Bukhari leading the presentation. Muhammad Saleem Siraji and Dr. A. Khaja Mueenuddin Jamali will also participate in the session.
The formal inaugural gathering will be held at 10:00 AM on 3 October, presided over by C. P. Ubaidulla Saqafi, President of SSF India. S. Sasikanth Senthil, Member of Parliament, will attend as a guest. Dilshad Ahmad, Secretary of SSF India, will deliver the welcome address, followed by a vote of thanks by Secretary Navas Badkal.
The evening of 3 October will feature a spiritual gathering led by Indian Grand Mufti Sheikh Abubakr Ahmed. Sayyid Abdurahman Ahsani Kamil Saqafi Keelakkarai will deliver the keynote address. Hasan Maulana, MLA; J. M. Haroon Rasheed, former MP; Hakeem Imdadi; and Haji Shihabuddin will also attend. The festival will conclude on the evening of 4 October. The closing gathering will feature a felicitation address by Noushad Alam Misbahi, Odisha, with Rashid Dubai, Secretary of RSC Global, among the participants.
The National Sahityotsav has grown into a major platform for nurturing and celebrating young talent across India. So far, Sahityotsav programmes have reached more than 2,500 villages and over 8,000 educational institutions, engaging more than 500,000 students. The journey to the National Sahityotsav begins at the grassroots, with programmes involving students and families across the country before progressing through the sector, division, district, and state levels.