India, Nov. 8 -- The roundabout this fortnight begins with a poem. Hopefully, a very good way to start! Poetry is forever, but this fall, it was a seasonal poem that drew attention. It was written by Manmohan Singh Kohli, whom most know as the proprietor of the first hotel that came up in the early days of Chandigarh, though he also has a deep interest in the arts and is an active member of the Baithak, a cultural group started by Ranjit Pawar to share culture, art and tradition. It was on the online platform of the society that 'Winter Trunk' caught the eye. The poem starts by welcoming the first day of November, which hangs a veil over the shy sun, and a chill makes its way into the evening, as Kohli the poet says, "The fall is the season when the cultural season starts blooming, having bid goodbye to heat and rain." Kohli goes on to describe the mood as the birds reach their piers and perches to snuggle the chill away. This is also the time when art and culture start flourishing, launching the season of celebrating the arts. Our city, too, has evolved its vibrant cultural season like other metropolises, and one has the choice of going here or there, which can be summed up in the line from a movie of yore named Palki, sung with passion: "Main idhar jaoon, ya udhar jaoon?" Late October saw one of the most looked-forward-to events as the city's Lalit Kala Akademi chose the young man who came to the city in the seventies to study art from Bareta, a town in Punjab's Mansa district. The reference, of course, is to Diwan Manna, who himself headed this akademi for several tenures. The story of this small-town boy is fascinating, as he made a one-of-a-kind place in visual art at home and abroad. Looking back, he recalls, "My father had a flourishing business, but he noticed that I had little interest in it. Although I was alright in studies, I spent a lot of time breaking objects and refashioning them." Laughing, he adds that this gave his father the feeling that he would make a good career as an engineer. But that was not to be, and so he joined the Government College of Art, Chandigarh, in 1975, starting with painting and moving on to graphics. The seventies in India were a vibrant time with mass expressions of protest, new ideas taking shape, the birth of the angry young man in Indian cinema, the women's movement, and a vibrant art scene emerging with new dreams and mediums. Manna says, "One of the most inspiring factors was joining the street theatre movement planted in the city by Gurcharan Singh Channi, an alumnus of the National School of Drama, which gave us a chance to travel to cities like Delhi and Mumbai and meet some of the finest people at the helm of the arts." Back home in Chandigarh, seniors like a professor of English who was noted as a prominent intellectual, and the inspiring poet of all poets, Kumar Vikal, left a mark. Photography fascinated Manna, and he chose the medium, but with a difference. Practicing both black-and-white and color photography, he did a memorable series of conceptual works that have been widely exhibited in well-known galleries abroad. As an art organiser in the city, he put together great shows and liberally distributed excellence awards to many. What makes one happy is that the award is not the end of a lifetime's work, as he remains active in the field of art, bringing something new to the table each time. The fifteenth edition of the Khushwant Singh Literature Festival, on its final evening, brought one face-to-face with one of the rare Punjabi singers who has risen to great heights, penning his own verses and rendering them in his enchanting melodies - Satinder Sartaaj, of course. The grand finale of the last evening of this charming hill festival saw this melodious singer in a 'Fireside Chat' of poetry and music with film actor Sandhya Mridul, who is also a poet, and yours truly anchoring the show as the poet sang his beautiful melodies. His all-time favourite - Hamain chithian milli hain mahtab se (I have received letters from the moonlight) - remains a favourite all around. This chat by the fire brought to mind an earlier acquaintance with him when I requested him to sing at a cultural function in the Chandigarh Press Club to celebrate Lohri, and the invitation was gracefully accepted by him. I recall I translated a few of his poems back then, and it is a joy to learn that Penguin India is going to publish a book of his poems in English. The happiest news is that he has translated them himself. Atta! Satinder Sartaaj, may your songs never grow old. A session worth recalling at the KSLF was by author Jerry Pinto as he released his latest book, titled A Good Life: The Power of Palliative Healing. Pinto is the author of his famous autobiographical novel "Em and the Big Hoom (2012)", which brought him The Hindu Literary Prize and the Sahitya Akademi award. The well-loved poet, writer and translator was at the festival with his latest book, which delves deeply into the necessity of palliative care for patients, sharing intimate stories of patients, families and caregivers. He also stressed that doctors often just suggest medicine, but it is the mind and lifestyle of the ailing that also need to be healed. This is a subject he has not only read about, but also practiced in his long care of his mother during her mental illness. The heartwarming thing about him is that he does not just preach; he puts it into practice. Meeting him after a long time, when I told him that my knees had collapsed, he wasted no time, squatting then and there in the porch to teach me a series of exercises to heal my knees. The world certainly needs more friends like Pinto around....