|
March 6, 2010 | Amritsar hosts annual heritage festival to popularize Punjabi culture |
Amritsar: A five-day annual Heritage Festival has been organized
in the holy city of Amritsar that got off to a colourful start here this Thursday (March 4). Among the attractive features on the opening day was Jago, a ceremonial
procession of women carrying pots with lit candles atop, on their heads. They
were followed by troupes of Punjabi Giddha, Bhangra dancers, Gatka, singers and
musicians followed by caparisoned horses and elephants on Thursday. The vibrant
Bhangra, especially, attracted a lot of appreciation of all, as it also happens
to be quite popular here. On other days, the people have been offered an opportunity
to attend and participate in religious procession across the city, traditional
games, Kavi Sammelan, Qawwali programme, photo exhibition, seminars, etcetra.
According the organizers, the heritage festival is intended to further lend a
boost to Amritsar appearing on the global tourist map. Jagos, which is a traditional
ceremony held on the eve of a wedding with women carrying pots with lit candles
on their heads, was also organized as part of programme held to promote cultural
tourism here. On this occasion, K S Pannu, Deputy Commissioner of Amritsar talked
about the saga of this popular festival. "We are celebrating Amritsar 's Heritage
Festival, which begins from today. Bhai Satinder Singh headed the Kirtan Darbar
(hymns singing in a Sikh shrine, Gurdwara), which was fantastic. Now 'Jagos' will
be taken from different places in the city and converge at the Town Hall, a heritage
building," said K S Pannu. The Harminder Sahib popularly known as the Golden Temple
is visited by thousands of devotees every day, as it is held in high esteem for
being the Sikhs' most revered place of worship. Devotees and tourists visiting
the temple said the festival reflects the colourful and lively culture of Amritsar
. "I think this is a historic festival which symbolises the culture of Amritsar
and it's a privilege for the girls of Amritsar to participate in this festival.
The entire credit goes to the heritage department and Deputy Commissioner K S
Pannu. This tradition should remain eternal," said Daljeet Kaur Johal, a local
resident. Another notable hallmark of this festival has been the participation
of artistes from Pakistan . The Amritsar Heritage Festival will conclude on Sunday
(March 07). |
|
|
|
Visit Indian Travel Sites
Goa,
Kerala,
Tamil Nadu,
Andhra Pradesh,
Delhi,
Rajasthan,
Uttar Pradesh,
Himachal Pradesh,
Assam,
Sikkim,
Karnataka,
Madhya Pradesh,
Jammu & Kashmir
Gujarat
Puducherry
|