Thursday 7 June 2007

The Sindhu Darshan Festival

Sindhu Darshan Festival, as the name suggests, is a celebration of River Sindhu, also known as the Indus, the river that gave India its name. This annual festival is held every June at Leh and Ladakh. Sindhu Darshan is a movement, which rediscovered the flowing legend of Ladakh with its imprints of fables, and a 5000 year old history embedded in its fertila e silt, which has enriched human kind for ages. Each fold of the river unfolds a unique culture of the land it passes through - speaking volumes in the same language, to anyone who cares to listen. The mighty Sindhu (Indus) river symbolizes the power and permanence of the ancient Indian civilization which evolved over a period of thousands of years. The archaeological discovery of the Indus Valley civilization which flourished along its banks, has reinforced the antiquity of the Indian civilization. The Sindhu Darshan Festival aims at projecting the Sindhu as a symbol of multi-dimensional cultural identity, communal harmony and peaceful co-existence in India. Whilst promoting tourism to this area, this festival is also a symbolic salute to the brave soldiers of India who have bravely fought the odds at Siachin, Kargil & other places. The festival promises a kaleidoscope of Indian culture and an exciting array of performing arts being brought together at an exciting place. The first time when this Festival was organised in October 1997, over seventy people from all over India had travelled to Leh for a Darshan and Puja of the River Sindhu (Indus) which originates from the Mansarovar in Tibet.