GULMARG: On the second day of the Kashmir Folk Festival organized by J&K Academy of Art, Culture & Languages in collaboration with Tourism Department, groups of artists Sunday performed at this scenic hill station to the delight of a large number of people, mostly tourists.
The Festival was launched at Pahalgam on May 4 and will continue for two months with weekly events at Pahalgam, Gulmarg, Verinag, Kokernag, Achhabal, Zabarwan Park and Chinar Bagh during which prominent folk artists of Kashmir will perform local folk dance and music including Bhand Paether, Dhambali and Chhakri for which the Valley is widely known. Pahalgam will host events on Saturdays, Gulmarg on Sundays, Zabarvan Park on Tuesdays, Kokernag and Achhabal on Wednesdays, Chinar Bagh on Thursdays and Verinag on Mondays.
Bhand Paether, a combination of play and dance, is Kashmir’s folk theatre known for highlighting social, political and environmental themes performed by a company of drummers, clowns and jesters. Dhambali is a devotional dance performed to invoke divine blessings on specific occasions while Chhakri is the most popular folk song of Kashmir played with traditional instruments like Tumbaknari, Rabab, Sarangi and Noat.
At Gulmarg, artists of Baba Reshi Folk Theatre performed Bhand Paether, of Shakur Shah Dhambali Dance Centre Dhambali and Nazir Ahmad Bhat Gulgami and party Chhakri. |
