STATE TIMES NEWS
JAMMU: Three-day Baisakhi Festival concluded here on Friday with great fervour and gaiety. One of the biggest events of Jammu, began here on 13th April, marked by celebrations involving prayers, fasting, processions, music, folk dances, skits, Nukad shows particularly of Dogra Culture.
The lively and three days Baisakhi festival has been celebrated with Navratras at Mubarak Mandi, Bagh-e-Bahu, Balidan Stambh, Akhnoor, Suchetgarh, R S Pura, Abhinav Theatre and Canal road in collaboration with J and K Academy of Art, Culture and Languages and Song and Drama Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.
On 13th April festival began with a Cultural procession of contingents in traditional Dogra attire drawn from all sections of the society showcasing the composite and rich cultural heritage of Jammu. Procession passed through the city, performing folk dances, Haran dance, Kud, Bhangra and Marshal Art.
Later in the day, Tanga ride was thrown open to public from City Chowk to Raghunath Bazaar via Kanak Mandi with playing of old Dogri song ” Kanak Mandi Tou Tanga Chalaya Naal Chale Kartari Oye”. Large numbers of people especially senior citizens and children enjoyed the Tanga ride. Huge rush was witnessed also at Kank Mandi, Bagh-e-Bahu, Veer Marg, Pakka Danga, Akhnoor where approx 600 amateur and professional artists mesmerized the audience by their talent through folk, dance, songs and other Cultural performances. Great enthusiasm was seen among women folk who thronged in large numbers at Mela venues.
Tourism Department in collaboration with Indian Army and J and K Police organized an impressive show at Balidaan Stambh on 14th April, where audience were enthralled with Veer Gaatha’s, Patriotic songs and items presented by the artists. Light and Sound show was also shown later in the evening depicting the extreme sacrifices given by Indian Army, Paramilitary forces and J and K Police.
A Kavi Sammelan of Dogri poetry was organized at Dogra hall, Jammu by Dogra Sadar Sabha in collaboration with Tourism Department on the concluding day.
R.K. Varma, Director Tourism, Jammu said “the real and core essence of such festivals remains the cultural and traditional values that have been passed from one generation to another and we attempted to keep it alive for our present and future generation.”
Streets and main Bazaars of the city were befittingly decorated and illuminated. Business Associations arranged large number of stalls of ethnic Dogra cuisine on discount rates at Veer Marg, Kanak Mandi, Mubarak Mandi, Raghunath Bazaar, Suchetgarh, Abhinav Theatre, Ranbir Canal Park. Travel Trade Associations also offered flat 30 per cent discount on room tariff during the festival days.
Choudhary Sham Lal, Minister for PHE, Irrigation and Flood Control, Priya Sethi, Minister of State for Tourism, Education, Technical Education, Horticulture, Floriculture and Parks, Jugal Kishore Sharma, Member of Parliament, Shamsher Singh Member Parliament, Gagan Bhagat, MLA R S Pura, Rajesh Gupta, MLA Jammu East, Yudhvir Sethi, Senior Leader, BJP, Dr. Pawan Kotwal, Divisional Commissioner, Jammu, Farooq A. Shah, Secretary Tourism, R.K Varma, Director Tourism, Narmita Dogra, Joint Director Tourism, Jammu, Er. S.K. Attri, Dy. Director Publicity, Jammu, Vinakshi Koul, Dy. Director Tourism, Dr. Umesh Shan, Assistant Director Tourism and officers of Civil and Police Administration attended the functions at various venues during the three days Baisakhi Festival-2016.
