Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Jan 2: Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India, Regional Office Jammu, is all set to revive the magnificent performing arts traditions of Jammu through “Hern Festival” being held on January 11 at Press Club.
Giving details about this whole initiative, Regional Director of ICCR Jammu Balwant Thakur informed that ‘Hern’ is one of the dying performing art tradition of Jammu region and to give it a new fillip and international projection, all identified active groups of ‘Hern’ will be given the opportunity to perform in their respective village in their own cultural milieu and finally best of the group will be invited to Jammu to perform at Press Club on January 11 and will be projected Internationally.
Describing about ‘Hern’, Balwant further informed that the performances of traditional Hern are associated with the festival of ‘Lohri’. This traditional theatre, which in the absence of patronage and support has almost vanished from the districts of Udhampur, Kathua, and Reasi, he added.
A group of performers with Hern (Deer) as its central character supported by a group of folk dancers in traditional attire, local drum players and few prominent characters like ‘Raja’, ‘Wazir’, ‘Sadhu’, and a caretaker of Hern move in a carnival and this mobile traditional theatre moves from house to house covering the entire village. Singing and dancing, this group of performers reflects upon the socio, economic and political State of the area through small satiristcal acts.
Thakur said the revival, promotion and preservation of this great tradition of performing arts will be an eye-opener for organisations and Government departments mandated to look-after the well being of the ailing arts of J&K.
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