Excelsior Correspondent
UDHAMPUR, July 17: Rutt-Raade, a month-long celebration of Dogra culture that began on the “Ashaad Sankranti”, came to an end on “Shravan Sankranti” when fully grown Raade were immersed in the cool waters of the Duddhar stream at the University of Jammu’s Udhampur Campus (Garnai Lotta), here today.
The “RaadeVisarjen” festivities began with the gathering of the joyful elders, women, men, newlywed couples and young children of the nearby village of Udhampur Campus to bid adieu to the fully grown Raade and immerse them in the flowing waters of the nearby stream in accordance with all the rituals.
The young ladies and kids decorated the Raade in the background of a light drizzle and rhythmic and traditional drum beats. After paying traditional obeisance, they were dug out of the ground and placed in bamboo baskets and were carried by the male members to the location of their immersion. During the procession, women chanted divine hymns and folk songs celebrating the health and growth of the community, respecting elders, mother nature, the soil, and regional deities. Traditional feast and mangoes were served after the immersion of Raade.
On the occasion, O P Sharma Vidyarthi, a well-known author and recipient of the Sahitya Academy Award, discussed the Rutt-Raade festival’s historical, cultural, and ecological significance.
Rector of the Udhampur Campus, Prof Yash Pal Sharma explained the significance of the festival to the community at large and to the students in particular. Drawing attention towards the issue of how e younger generation is losing touch with our culture, he said that commemorating these events will pique the youth’s interest in learning more about our rich culture and bring them closer to nature.
Special guest, Prof Romesh Atri, HoD Botany, GDC, Dhampur hoped that the other educational institution across Jammu would also celebrate such festival on large scale in the future to connect and attract youth toward societal set up.
On the occasion a ‘Gulab Jamun’ tree (Syzygiumjambos) was also planted on the premises of the Udhampur campus. The festival was coordinated by Dr Mamta Sharma, Dr Taruna Dubey, Dr Ritika Sambyal, Dr Kamani Dutta, Dr Sunita Kumari, Dr Jyotishna, Dr Jatinder Kour and non-teaching staff of the Udhampur Campus.
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