Sheikh Saqlain
LEH, June 12: There were no sadhus with ash-smeared bodies, no shankaracharyas and no RSS cadres. Much water has flown down the Indus since senior right wing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader L.K. Advani inaugurated the first Sindhu Darshan Festival here in 1997.
This year, saffron was conspicuous by its absence and the occasion-actually meant for Hindus to celebrate and worship the Indus or Sindhu river-turned out to be a low key affair, and was perhaps lost in the refreshingly secular celebrations choreographed by Jammu and Kashmir government.
“Sindhu Festival is a symbolic event on communal harmony and sends across the message of brotherhood and peace in the country and in the world,” said Minister for Tourism and Culture, Nawang Rigzin Jora.
Jora, who was the Chief Guest on the occasion, earlier on Tuesday declared the three-day Sindhu Festival open with hoisting the national flag which was followed by a brief prayer ceremony performed by all the religious heads in the presence of the guests seeking blessings for peace to prevail and to ward off the impurities made to the Indus which holds a sacred significance.
“Celebrating this festival is a means of paying tribute to Sindhu from which has born the most ancient civilization, the Indus Civilization and speaks of the heritage of India and Pakistan,” Rigzin Jora said in his inaugural address.
The objective of the festival, he said, was to attract more and more tourists, domestic and foreigners to this region as tourism sector is the main support system for economic growth in Ladakh. “The industry has proved highly beneficial in providing job opportunities which in turn has resulted in improved economic conditions of the people in every district,” he said.
The focus was on the river itself, with musicians and dancers rendering a charming performance against the backdrop of the snow-capped Himalayan range.
Amrita Rawat- Minister for Tourism & Culture, Uttrakhand- who was the guest of honour on the occasion expressed happiness over her “success in attending the Sindhu festival” which, she said, was “a dream come true”.
“Sindhu, the word from which has come the name ‘Hindustan’, holds a great significance and is very auspicious in Indian culture and this festival in true sense projects India’s unity in diversity. Ours is a new born state and is in many ways similar to Ladakh like the mountains, landscape and its religious importance with places,” Rawat said.
“The rivers like Ganga and Sindhu are symbols of unity as they bind people of every caste, religion, place and class together without any biasness and give the message of brotherhood and such festivals play a great role in keeping the sanctity of these rivers preserved,” she said.
