Kashmiri folk culture comes alive at R-Day
By IANSWednesday, January 26, 2011
NEW DELHI - The replica of a Sufi shrine, a hut carved in wood, a Chinar tree, folk artists… a typical Kashmiri village came alive on Delhi’s famous Rajpath boulevard here Wednesday.
Kashmir’s rich folk culture was showcased by the state’s tableau that rolled down at the Republic Day parade. With song, dance and drama, artists dressed in traditional clothes performed the Bhand Pather - Jammu and Kashmir’s folk theatre.
Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad and his wife Shameema Azad, who hail from the state, smiled and cheered the float.
The tableau was designed by renowned Kashmiri artist Veer Munshi.
Bhand Pather is a traditional cultural soire performed primarily in rural Kashmir. However, folk artists fear that the culture is dying.
Officials of the Jammu and Kashmir Academy of Art, Culture and Languages, who had sponsored the tableau, said the aim was to stress the need to protect the folk theatre of the valley.
