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Sindhu Darshan Festival is hosted every year in Shey Manla, which is located around 8 km outside the city of Leh. During this three-day festival, this spot registers a huge footfall of tourists from across the country. Dance, art and music are the highlights of this festival, which are held on the banks of the Indus River (Sindhu River).
This festival is celebrated to pay homage to River Sindhu, with the intention of endorsing it as an icon of communal harmony in India.
History
Sindhu Darshan Festival is held in India every year on Guru Purnima, which is a full moon day, in June. It takes place at in Ladakh District's Leh in Jammu and Kashmir for three days. This event first took place in October 1997 and since then kept continuing every year. This festival attracts a large number of domestic as well as foreign tourists.
As per the name suggests, Sindhu Darshan Festival is celebrated for the Sindhu River, which is popularly known as Indus River. During this celebration, the festival endorses river Sindhu as an icon for India's unity and communal harmony. Also, a symbolic salutation is offered to the courageous and brave soldiers of our nation, who lost their lives while saving ours.
River Sindhu flowed through Ladakh, which was re-discovered by Lal Krishna Advani in 1955 during his visit to Leh. Ever since, Hindu Sindhis come here to worship. Sindhi by religion Advani started the Sindhu Darshan Abhiyan in 1996 from Choglamsar, which is merely eight kilometers from Leh. This initiative was specifically undertaken so that Indians realize the importance and value of river Sindhu. This event was first held in October 1997 for the first time.
Later in June 2000, the then Prime Minister of India Atal Bihari Vajpayee inaugurated Sindhu Darshan Festival with a lot of show and pomp. He also laid Sindhu Cultural Center's foundation and inaugurated Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council's new office complex. This particular complex has an exhibition gallery, open-air theater, music room and small library. It also has an auditorium at the center, which accommodates 500 people. To shop exquisite handicrafts from Ladakh, people can check out stalls within the festival premises.
Celebration
Every year, a large number of participants from different parts of the country participate in Sindhu Darshan Festival. The people who wish to attend this festival get earthen pots filled with their state's river water and immerse them in river Sindhu. This immersing symbolizes the country's cultural identity that is multi-dimensional.
the first day of the festival, a reception ceremony is organised on Sindhu's banks at Shey for all the participants attending. Several religious groups committees (Ladakh Buddhist Association, Sunni Anjuman, Shia Majlis, Hindu Trust, Sikh Gurudwara Prabhandak Committee and Christian Moravian Church) form a joint association which then conducts the reception ceremony to encourage national integrity. On the river's banks, about 50 senior Lamas carry out prayers as a ritual. A series of cultural programs is also presented by the artists from various states of the country. The participants also get the benefit of an organized sightseeing tour. Then, the day ends with bonfire. After the whole extravaganza, this festival has a Puja organised. On the last day, it is time for the participants to depart. More than thousands of tourists make a point to visit Leh for the grand celebrations.
Kashmir is the crown state of India. It is rich in culture and diversity. Although it is known for Islamic culture, Kashmir also has a fair population of Hindus, who celebrate their festivals with much joy and ado. Along with celebrating national festivals like Diwali and Holi, Kashmir has its own local festivals. These are conducted by the local groups and people irrespective of their religious views take part in them. Some of these festivals like the Hemis festival is treated as national holiday to ensure everyone takes part in it. Such is the importance of festivals to bring people together. In this article, we shall explore some of the popular festivals in Kashmir.
