Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Sept 18: A team of officials of J&K Academy of Art, Culture and Languages today visited the native place(Arnia) of popular Dogri folk form ‘Bhagtan’ and interacted with the folk performers there.
The team was led by Additional Secretary, J&K Academy of Art, Culture and Languages.
The initiative was taken as part of the Academy’s efforts to revive the folk music forms in the State.
The team interacted folk performers Master Talib Ram Bhagtia, Puran Chand Bhagtia, Subash Chander Bhagtia, Bodh Raj Bhagtia Rajinder Kumar Bhagtia, Gardhari Lal Bhagtia, Subash Kumar Bhagtia, Bachan Lal Bhagtia and Nek Raj Bhagtia.
During the interaction, Ved Parkash highlighted the problems being faced by the folk performers to keep alive this folk form.
He said that three generations of his family have contributed their life to keep alive this form but now in this changing environment rituals and other festive occasions like marriage have been shifted to banquet halls and so called westernize music has taken over this old age tradition.
After giving a patient hearing, the Additional Secretary assured that Academy will extend every support not only for the revival but also to make the common folk aware of the importance of these dying folk form like ‘Bhagtan’. He also emphasized that the performing groups should also come forward and get their NGOs registered/affiliated with the concerned state and national organizations working for the development and preservation of art, culture and literature.
During the discussion, it was also informed that the J&K Academy of Art, Culture and Languages will soon organize a major event featuring the traditional folk music of Arnia, the native place of the folk artists of this form. This is for the first time that the J&K Cultural Academy took an initiative and visited to the folk performers and artists who have contributed their whole life for such folk forms like Bhagtian.
Ashok Gupta, Editor Dogri, Bhupinder Singh Jamwal, Sr. Staff Artist and Bishan Dass, junior staff Artists also spoke on the occasion.
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