This is the second time the three-day event is being hosted by the city. The meet will be presided over by recently elected Pune-based poet Vasant Bapat. About 10,000 participants -- both litterateurs and laymen -- from all over the state and beyond are expected to participate.

The Sahitya Sammelan has been an annual feature for people of Maharashtra and has served as a platform for discussion of literary issues. Even laymen are welcome to participate in its discussions.

Registrations for the meet have begun in Dadar Sarvajanik Vachanalay. The 91-year-old public library, which has organised the event, will be responsible for the management of the various committees that have been formed for the meet. About 250 to 300 volunteers will be required to runthe committees. ``We have contacted college NSS and Marathi Vangmay Mandal units. The response is overwhelming. We have met the requirements already and work is in full swing,'' said Nilay Vaidya, the Sammelan's publicity in-charge. The Akhil Bharatiya Marathi Sahitya Mahamandal will award the student-volunteers with certificates.

Registrations are picking up and several schools in Dadar will be engaged to accommodate people from outside Mumbai. The Sammelan's registration fee is Rs 25. An amount of Rs 600 extra will be charged as lodging-boarding fee for three days and two nights and Rs 250 as food charges.

The programme schedule hasn't yet been declared, but the meet is expected to begin, in keeping with tradition, with the sahitya dindi

(a procession of litterateurs). Other typical features of a Marathi literary meet, viz, seminars and an open session for poetry reading, are expected to take place. The programmes of the meet will be held simultaneously at Shivaji Park and at Savarkar Smarakacross the road.

Organisers have come up with a novel idea: houses of Marathi litterateurs who have lived, or are living, around Shivaji Park will be lit for the benefit of people. Brief information on works of the litterateurs will be put up at the entrance of the respective lanes/roads leading to their residence. Veer Savarkar, Acharya Atre, Prabodhankar Thackeray and Madhav Manohar are among the names the organisers have come up with.