‘Tawi Festival’ to showcase Jammu’s Art, Culture, and Heritage began
Festival
5 min read
In Jammu and Kashmir, the Tawi Festival began on March 1, 2024, showcasing the Jammu region's art, culture, and heritage.
- This year, the festival will focus on highlighting the diverse art forms and cultural treasures of the Jammu region.
- Young people will have the opportunity to showcase their talents and share their ideas with experts in different fields.
- The festival will feature various activities such as seminars, workshops, folk music performances, street theater, and classical and folk dances.
- Kashmir is popularly known as ‘the Paradise on Earth’.
Main festivals of Jammu and Kashmir
Tulip Festival
The Tulip Festival is a popular celebration held during the spring season in Kashmir. The region is home to numerous tulip gardens, including the Indira Gandhi Memorial Tulip Garden located in Srinagar.
This garden boasts over 65 varieties of tulips and serves as the largest garden of its kind in Kashmir. The garden hosts the Tulip Festival, which marks the onset of spring, and the bright and colorful tulips make the state of Jammu and Kashmir even more beautiful.
Shikara Festival
Wooden boats found in the lakes of Jammu and Kashmir are known as Shikaras. These boats have multiple uses including rides in the lake, aquatic harvesting, and fishing. Once a year, during the Shikara festival, the Shikaras line up for a race in Dal Lake.
Although the festival was introduced in 2016, it has become one of the most important festivals in the region. In addition to the Shikara race, other boat races in the area include Canoe Polo and the Dragon Boat Race.
Saffron Festival
The Saffron Festival is a unique celebration that takes place only in the Jammu Kashmir Valley. This is because Jammu and Kashmir is the sole state in India that produces the best quality saffron. The harvesting time of saffron is marked with festivities and is known as the Saffron Festival.
Baisakhi
Baisakhi is the harvest festival celebrated in Jammu and Kashmir, as well as in the entire North India. This festival holds special importance for the Sikhs, as it marks the formation of the Khalsa sect by Guru Gobind Singh in 1699, and is also celebrated as their new year.
During the festival, several fairs and carnivals are organized, where people can enjoy Punjabi folk dance, Punjabi dishes, and see others clad in traditional clothes.
Gurez Festival
The valley of Gurez is located in the northern region of Kashmir. The Department of Tourism initiated the Gurez Festival with the primary objective of promoting tourism in the area.
It is a two-day festival that showcases the local cuisine, handicrafts, sports, and the rich culture of this lesser-known valley. Various tourist activities are organized during the festival, and local artists and students from the region perform in various cultural programs.
One of the main highlights of the festival is the folk dance of Gurez, which is performed during the event.
Besides, various activities like rafting, trekking, cycling, and zorbing are organized for the tourists. Water rafting is one of the most popular sports of this festival, which is organized on the Kishanganga River
