Srinagar: The department of student welfare of the Kashmir University hoisted a grand Sufi festival to pay tribute to the legendary Sufi personality of Asia Hazrat Baba Bulleh Shah.
The main purpose of this festival was to revive the sufiyana, classical and folk music and provide a platform for talented youths of the valley. Because Sufiyana, classical, folk music and overall Sufi poetry is the identity of people which is famous and considered the backbone of Kashmir as per the cultural and traditional point of view.
Shahid Ali Khan, the Cultural Officer of Kashmir University said, “This festival was a tribute to the legendary Sufi personality Hazrat Baba Bulleh Shah, in which students from the Kashmir University and children from neighbour villages took part. Apart from full-fledged education, extracurricular activities are also very important, if the students don’t take part in sports or cultural activities, then the pressure of studies will increase in their minds which can lead to drug addiction. So to release that stress from students, we organise these types of festivals and we will try to organise these types of festivals in the future also. The 2,500 capacity of the convocation centre was fully packed and everyone enjoyed it a lot and we feel encouraged to organise these kinds of festival. From here participants are performing at national and international levels which feels good.”
During the festival almost two thousand five hundred people including professors, scholars and students on campus were present and everybody demanded that such type of festivals should be continued in future. The participants and overall audience were looking very excited and enjoyed the festival because for the last two years due to the disturbing situation and Covid disturbance such types of activities were restricted by the government.
Nargis Khatoon, a participant at the Sufi Festival stated, “I am feeling very good because I started my career at this stage. I stay in Delhi, but coming here to perform on stage is absolutely a great feeling. This time I got to meet so many new musicians, and many new talents, feeling really good. These types of festivals are very important as we are adapting modern music nowadays but if we continue to take our roots along with us we can surely make a difference. There is something different about Sufiyana music, so I believe we should always stick to our roots. After the COVID pandemic, these types of festivals are providing a complete concert feeling which feels great.”
Another participant at the festival, Shahid Khan said, “The festival was just amazing and was well organized by the Kashmir university to pay tribute to Hazrat Baba Bulle Shah after the pandemic which was truly enjoyable. The auditorium was fully crowded, everyone was singing, dancing and enjoying as if they got some kind of independence. These types of festivals are very important, as they boost up the interest among the youth to take part in such cultural festivals.”
A student from Kashmir University, Bhat Sabrina Firdaus shared her experience of the Sufi Festival and said, “I enjoyed it a lot, the way every participant performed was so much overwhelming. Due to Covid-19 and Article 370, the situation here was very disturbing, but I am very happy that things are getting better now and I am very thankful to Shahid sir, director DSW, for organising this festival. Extracurricular activities are also very important apart from education, so I am happy our university organised this Sufi Festival.”
Another student Sheikh Itfar said, “This was my first on-stage performance and I represented my department, and it feels really good and I wish there are many more festivals like this in the future as well so that everyone gets a chance.”
The Sufi festival enthralled a jam pack audience especially students at Kashmir University. The Sufi Festival was an important part of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav, organized by the department of students welfare at the University of Kashmir.
Such types of festivals are always entertaining people including students and help them to reduce mental stress.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by HW News staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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