J&K government holds folk festival to woo tourists 

The Department of Tourism, Jammu and Kashmir, is organising a plethora of activities in the off-beat tourist destinations of the Union Territory.

Continuing with the promotional campaigns, especially in the Jammu region, the Directorate of Tourism Jammu, in collaboration with District Administration Rajouri, recently organised the ‘Nowshera Folk Festival’ on the lawns of Boys Higher Secondary School, Nowshera.

The event was inaugurated by Deputy Commissioner Rajouri, Vikas Kundal along with DDC Chairperson Naseem Liaquat Choudhury.

The event started with a mesmerizing performance by Dogri performers followed by a scintillating Gojri and Pahari dance. The star performances in the show included brilliant singing performances by Shoaib Kandoo, Shivam Shiva and Sandeep Brar. The crowd danced and thoroughly enjoyed the event and it was received with great response in the town.

Earlier in the day, Additional Deputy Commissioner Nowshera Kartar Singh, Assistant Director Tourism Rajouri, Ambika Bali; BDO Nowshera, Khalil Rehman and SDPO Nowshera Adil Ahmed flagged off a ‘Heritage Tour Bus’ from Dak Bungalow Nowshera which carried bloggers and local travel enthusiasts to Mangla Mata, Brigadier Usman War Memorial, Khambah Fort, Khori Baba Shrine and culminated at the Thakurdwara Temple in Nowshera.

It is pertinent to mention here that Nowshera is an off-beat tourist destination of J&K and is a very important border tourism destination for interested tourists.

Speaking on the occasion, Deputy Commissioner Rajouri emphasised the need to promote the offbeat tourist destinations of Rajouri District. He appreciated the effort of the Tourism Department in organising such grand events at Nowshera and Sunderbani where local participation was also good. He further said that the department should continue its efforts and also promote homestays in the area.

The event received a massive response from locals, travellers from within Rajouri and the nearby places.

About 2500 people participated in the grand cultural evening and also appreciated the display of local art, handloom, and handicraft products along with display of mannequins in Pahari and Gojri attire.

Speaking on the occasion, Deputy Director of Tourism Jammu, Abdul Jabbar said that more such events shall be organized in the Pir Panjal area in coming days. He said that such events at rural areas are helpful in connecting people with the tourism department and are important initiatives under ‘Prashan Gaon ki Aur’ and Good Governance initiatives.