Jammu & Kashmir Festival inaugurated in Delhi showcasing J&K’s rich Cultural Heritage

New Delhi, December 02 - The Governor of Jammu and Kashmir Mr. N. N. Vohra and the Chief Minister, Mr. Omar Abdullah jointly inaugurated the 3-day festival of Jammu and Kashmir at India International Centre, here this evening.

With a view to showcasing rich cultural diversity and to inculcate J&K’s art consciousness amongst the people of the state and the country, the festival is being organized by the Jammu and Kashmir state in collaboration with India International Centre (IIC).

Speaking on the occasion the Governor emphasized the need for preservation and effective showcasing of the rich cultural heritage of the Jammu and Kashmir for which it has been known. “We should focus on reviving and strengthening our glorious pluralistic cultural traditions and heritage and work towards making India a strong and a vibrant nation”, he added. He further said “Ours is a multi-religious, multi-lingual and multi-cultural country and this unique aspect has been the greatest strength of our country” and are a treasure house of art, culture and heritage which needs to be optimally preserved and promoted. He stressed on optimally preserving and promoting this great asset of the country.

Addressing a packed audience at IIC the Chief Minister Mr. Omar Abdullah said that this event had provided a very useful opportunity to the artists from various parts of Jammu & Kashmir for coming together and showcasing cultural heritage of various areas adding that it would go a long way in further strengthening our cultural unity.

The Chief Minister said that the showcasing of this festival would showcase the state’s rich cultural diversity and promote tourism in the state. “Unfortunately the State is being viewed through the prism of security environment and its positivity in many form including culture, heritage, amity and secular fabric are not receiving the mush sought focus”, he said adding that the need of our is to view the state from positive angles. The CM said that violence in the state has reduced to a greater degree at present as compared to the last two decades. He said successful conduct of panchayati elections and in-flow of a record number of tourist in the state shows that peace is rooting fast and the state is emerging on the tourism map once again.

The Chief Minister said that Jammu and Kashmir State has a unique blend of multifaceted cultures making it a fine example of unity in diversity. He said that the festival would provide an opportunity to the people to see and feel the multi-lingual, multi-cultural and multi- ethnic facets of the state with three divergent socio-cultural and geographical regions namely Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh. “The state has rich cultural heritage cherished by age old traditions of peaceful co-existence and communal harmony with world famous handicrafts, environment, wild life and tourist destinations”, he emphasized the needs for showcasing this aspect of the state during the festival days.

Union Minster for New and Renewable Energy also addressed the audience and invited the people from other parts of the state to visit Jammu and Kashmir and relish its see the scenic beauty, rich cultural heritage and communal harmony.

The festival is marked with the art and photo exhibition, screening of films by Information Department, seminars on cultural heritage and environment of the state, mushaira, folk dances, theatre performances traditional songs and dances, demonstration by artisans, Sufiana Kalams and Ladakhi mask dances.

As part of the festival, the Governor and the Chief Minister also inaugurated the Art Exhibition at the Art Gallery of the IIC. Inspected various aspects of the exhibition and appreciated the works of the artists. The art exhibition has been organized by the Jammu and Kashmir Academy of the Art Culture and Languages and showcasing various forms of art and culture of the state. President IIC, Mr. M.G.K. Menon presented welcome address on the occasion. Among others First Lady Mrs. Usha Vohra, Minister for Tourism and Culture, Mr. Nawang Rigzin Jora, Minister of State of Tourism J&K, Mr. Nasir Aslam Wani, Commissioner/Secretary, Tourism J&K and other senior officers of the J&K State were present on the occasion.