Bhubaneswar, Mar 23 (PTI) Chhattisgarh Deputy Chief Minister Arun Sao on Sunday said that literature is shaping society and one can't imagine society without literature.

The true mirror of the society is literature, he said while addressing the valedictory function of the Kalinga Literary Festival here.

Also Read | Ladki Bahin Yojana Update: Maharashtra Government Reviewing Eligibility Criteria, To Cut Benefits for 8.5 Lakh Women.

"I feel proud to be here in the land of Lord Jagannath and my neighbouring state, with which we have 'Roti, Beti ki samperk'(both states share bread and daughter relationship)," he stated.

Sao asserted that literature plays a key role in protecting civilisation, culture and traditional values on which the society stands. The three-day-long literary event culminated on Sunday.

Also Read | Punjab Congress President Amarinder Singh Raja Warring Says 'AAP B-Team of BJP', Questions CM Bhagwant Mann on Jailed MP Amritpal Singh.

Hundreds of thought leaders, writers, poets and novelists, artists, filmmakers and social entrepreneurs attended from India and abroad participated in around a hundred thought provoking sessions relating to literature, culture, arts, cinema and politics.

Festival director Rashmi Ranjan Parida said, "Our efforts to take Odia writings, art forms and language to the international stage got a boost."

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)