Bhubaneswar: People laughed, cheered and nodded through an hour-long discourse on the power of self by Jaggi Vasudev at an event held in the city on Friday.

The event, Mystic Kalinga, a two-day international festival of poetry and performances, was inaugurated in the presence of several noted poets from around the world.

Renowned Indian English poet Keki N. Daruwala and famous Hindi poet and cultural critic Ashok Vajpayee graced the inaugural session and discussed various aspects of Indian culture from a critical point of view. Both the poets said there must be clear distinction between myth and reality.

In a session moderated by poet Arundhati Subramaniam, Vasudev discussed Indian mysticism and decoded hidden Indian philosophical messages of life through short tales and stories in the context of his recently launched book Adiyogi: The Source of Yoga.

He explained the rationale behind Indian cultural practices of rituals amid quest of seekers to find out real meaning of life. He said: "If you realize you do not know something, then you will try to find out. But if you want to know something but do not have the time or inclination, then you will believe."

The first day of the second edition of Mystic Kalinga showcased various genres of Indian poetry with three poetry recital sessions - multilingual, Odia and Bhakti poetry - being held. Noted poets such as Nabaneeta Dev Sen, Sitakanta Mohapatra, Arundhati Subramanian and Saroj Bal read their poems.

Arundhathi Subramaniam, Nabaneeta Dev Sen and Soubhagya Kumar Mishra were given the Mystic Kalinga Literary Awards 2017 on the occasion. An Urdu Mushaira session was held with Tarannum Riyaz and Shakeel Azmi participating.