Jammu Festival 2013 Witnesses Massive Participation

Jammu (J&K), December 27, 2013 - Terming revival of Jammu Festival as a step in right direction, Minister for Planning and Development, Jamu & Kashmir, Ajay Kumar Sadhotra today said that such events will help in promoting the rich culture and heritage of the Jammu region. “The state of Jammu and Kashmir is known for its glorious ethos and every effort is needed to be made to preserve and bequeath it to the posterity”, the Minister said while addressing a distinguished gathering assembled to witness musical bonanza on the third day of the festival at Mubarak Mandi Jammu.

He said that music and art know no boundaries or barriers and hoped that through this medium the younger generation in particular can be made aware about their glorious past. He exhorted the organizers to ensure that different facets of Dogra culture and art are highlighted in a big way.

The Minister exuded confidence that promotional measures like the Tourism Festival will go a long way in attracting tourists from different parts of the country. “Jammu has emerged as a premier location for the pilgrim tourism and being gateway to picturesque Kashmir Valley, the influx of tourists is growing with each passing year”, he said and asked the organizers to plan similar programmes in other tourist resorts of the region.

The main attraction of the two hour long musical programme was the folk songs of the state that depicted various facets of its diverse culture. The artists left the audience spell bound by their performance. The Minister complimented the participating artists for their scintillating performance and said that these are the occasions when the abundant talent of the state gets showcased on a larger canvas.

Speaking on the occasion, Director Tourism dwelt upon special features of the festival and expressed his gratitude to different departments and participating agencies for their cooperation. Present on the occasion, among others, include Divisional commissioner Jammu, Director tourism and Information and senior officers of both department, senior and prominent citizens of Jammu Division.