Sindhu Darshan Festival
Encyclopedia
Sindhu Darshan Festival is a festival of India
held every year on full moon day (on Guru Purnima
) in month of June. It is held at Leh, in Ladakh
District of Jammu & Kashmir. It stretches for three days. It was first started in the October, 1997 and continues to be held every year since then, attracting large number of foreign as well domestic tourists.
The Sindhu Darshan Festival, as the name suggests, is a celebration of River Sindhu, also known as the Indus. The main reason behind the celebration of Sindhu Darshan Festival is to endorse the Indus River (Sindhu River) as an icon of the communal harmony and unity of India. The festival is also a symbolic salutation to the courageous soldiers of the country, who endanger their life to save ours.
) , now in Pakistan
. For, the purpose that, people of India, know the importance of Sindhu River, Lal Krishna Advani
, in 1996, himself a Sindhi, visited Choglamsar ( 8 kms from Leh ) and started Sindhu Darshan Abhiyan, with handful of Sindhi
s.
The first time this event was held in form of Sindhu Darshan Festival was in October, 1997.
, then the Honorable Prime Minister of India at Shey
(15 km away from Leh).The Prime Minister laid the foundation stone of the Sindhu Cultural Center and also inaugurated the new office complex of Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council.The complex has an open air theater, an exhibition gallery, a small library and a music room. Auditorium in the center of the complex can accommodate 500 people at a time. People attending the festival can also shop for exquisite Ladakh handicrafts available at the stalls within the premises.
The Prime Minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, was overwhelmed after touching Sindhu and said "Some people queried about existence of Sindhu in India as described in our national anthem but little did they know that it flows from our soil in Ladakh." He further added : "Sindhu symbolised 5,000 years ethos of Indian civilization and its re-discovery will strengthen emotional integration of country." and quoted hymn from Rig Veda :- Sindhu it might surpasses all the streams that flow - His roar is lifted up to heaven above the earth, he puts forth endless vigour with a flash of light, even as cow with milk rush to their calves, so other rivers roar in to Sindhu. As warrior king leads other warriors, so does Sindhu lead other rivers. Rich in good steed is Sindhu, rich in gold, nobly fashioned rich in ample wealth.
The occasion, was also marked by immersion of waters from Brahmaputra brought by Arunachal Pradesh
Chief Minister, Mukut Mithi. Brahmputra & Sindhu, both rivers rise from same source in Mansarovar.
The first day of the Sindhu Darshan Festival witnesses a reception ceremony for the participants, organized on the banks of Sindhu at Shey
. This reception ceremony is conducted by a joint association of committees of various religious groups ( Buddhist, Shia, Sunni, Christian
, Hindu
and Sikh
) namely, Ladakh Buddhist Association, Shia Majlis, Sunni Anjuman, Christian Moravian Church, Hindu Trust and Sikh Gurudwara Prabhandak Committee, to promote national integrity. As a part of the ritual, fifty senior Lama
s conduct a prayer on the banks of the river. A series of cultural programs is also presented by the artists from various states of the country. A sightseeing tour is organized for the participants and the day comes to an end with a bonfire at night. After the cultural programs and sightseeing trip, a Puja is organized on the second day of the Sindhu Darshan Festival. On the third day, the participants get ready for the departure. Leh is jam packed with thousand of tourist, who visit the hill town to be a part of this grand celebrations.
', chanted by Buddhists in the area, a prayer in praise of God. The stamp depicts a landscape in the upper reaches of the Sindhu with an inset of the famous 'Vrishabha' (bull) seal of the Indus Valley Civilization and a line, from the 'Rig Veda', describing the Sindhu.
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
held every year on full moon day (on Guru Purnima
Guru Purnima
Guru Purnima is a festival traditionally celebrated by Hindus and Buddhists.On this day, disciples offer puja or pay respect to their Guru . It falls on the day of full moon, Purnima, in the month of Ashadh of the Shaka Samvat, Indian national calendar and Hindu calendar...
) in month of June. It is held at Leh, in Ladakh
Ladakh
Ladakh is a region of Jammu and Kashmir, the northernmost state of the Republic of India. It lies between the Kunlun mountain range in the north and the main Great Himalayas to the south, inhabited by people of Indo-Aryan and Tibetan descent...
District of Jammu & Kashmir. It stretches for three days. It was first started in the October, 1997 and continues to be held every year since then, attracting large number of foreign as well domestic tourists.
The Sindhu Darshan Festival, as the name suggests, is a celebration of River Sindhu, also known as the Indus. The main reason behind the celebration of Sindhu Darshan Festival is to endorse the Indus River (Sindhu River) as an icon of the communal harmony and unity of India. The festival is also a symbolic salutation to the courageous soldiers of the country, who endanger their life to save ours.
The beginnings
Mr. Lal Krishna Advani, re-discovered the Sindhu river flowing though Ladakh, when he visited Leh in 1995. Since then it has been a pilgrimage for Hindu Sindhis, who in pre-partition days, used to worship her ( in SindhSindh
Sindh historically referred to as Ba'ab-ul-Islam , is one of the four provinces of Pakistan and historically is home to the Sindhi people. It is also locally known as the "Mehran". Though Muslims form the largest religious group in Sindh, a good number of Christians, Zoroastrians and Hindus can...
) , now in Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
. For, the purpose that, people of India, know the importance of Sindhu River, Lal Krishna Advani
Lal Krishna Advani
Lal Kishanchand Advani known as Lal Krishna Advani is a Veteran Indian politician. A former president of the Bharatiya Janata Party , which is currently the major opposition party in the Indian Parliament. He also served as a Deputy Prime Minister of India from 2002 to 2004...
, in 1996, himself a Sindhi, visited Choglamsar ( 8 kms from Leh ) and started Sindhu Darshan Abhiyan, with handful of Sindhi
Sindhi people
Sindhis are a Sindhi speaking socio-ethnic group of people originating from Sindh, a province Formerly of British India, now in Pakistan. Today Sindhis that live in Pakistan belong to various religious denominations including Islam, Zoroastrianism, Hinduism, Sikhism and Christianity...
s.
The first time this event was held in form of Sindhu Darshan Festival was in October, 1997.
Year 2000 Sindhu Darshan Festival
Later on in year 2000, on 7 June, Sindhu Darshan Festival was held with much pomp and show and was inaugurated by Atal Bihari VajpayeeAtal Bihari Vajpayee
Atal Bihari Vajpayee is an Indian statesman who served as the tenth Prime Minister of India three times – first for a brief term of 13 days in 1996, and then for two terms from 1998 to 2004. After his first brief period as Prime Minister in 1996, Vajpayee headed a coalition government from...
, then the Honorable Prime Minister of India at Shey
Shey
Shey is a town in Ladakh that has the old summer Palace of the kings of Ladakh. It is located 15 km. from Leh towards Hemis. The palace was built more than 555 years ago by Lhachen Palgyigon, the king of Ladakh...
(15 km away from Leh).The Prime Minister laid the foundation stone of the Sindhu Cultural Center and also inaugurated the new office complex of Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council.The complex has an open air theater, an exhibition gallery, a small library and a music room. Auditorium in the center of the complex can accommodate 500 people at a time. People attending the festival can also shop for exquisite Ladakh handicrafts available at the stalls within the premises.
The Prime Minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, was overwhelmed after touching Sindhu and said "Some people queried about existence of Sindhu in India as described in our national anthem but little did they know that it flows from our soil in Ladakh." He further added : "Sindhu symbolised 5,000 years ethos of Indian civilization and its re-discovery will strengthen emotional integration of country." and quoted hymn from Rig Veda :- Sindhu it might surpasses all the streams that flow - His roar is lifted up to heaven above the earth, he puts forth endless vigour with a flash of light, even as cow with milk rush to their calves, so other rivers roar in to Sindhu. As warrior king leads other warriors, so does Sindhu lead other rivers. Rich in good steed is Sindhu, rich in gold, nobly fashioned rich in ample wealth.
The occasion, was also marked by immersion of waters from Brahmaputra brought by Arunachal Pradesh
Arunachal Pradesh
Arunachal Pradesh is a state of India, located in the far northeast. It borders the states of Assam and Nagaland to the south, and shares international borders with Burma in the east, Bhutan in the west, and the People's Republic of China in the north. The majority of the territory is claimed by...
Chief Minister, Mukut Mithi. Brahmputra & Sindhu, both rivers rise from same source in Mansarovar.
Festivities
Every year, a large number of participants from different parts of the country participate in Sindhu Darshan Festival. They bring water from the river of their own state in earthen pots and immerse these pots in the Sindhu River. Consequently, the waters of all rivers mingle together, thereby symbolizing the multi-dimensional cultural identity of the country.The first day of the Sindhu Darshan Festival witnesses a reception ceremony for the participants, organized on the banks of Sindhu at Shey
Shey
Shey is a town in Ladakh that has the old summer Palace of the kings of Ladakh. It is located 15 km. from Leh towards Hemis. The palace was built more than 555 years ago by Lhachen Palgyigon, the king of Ladakh...
. This reception ceremony is conducted by a joint association of committees of various religious groups ( Buddhist, Shia, Sunni, Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
, Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
and Sikh
Sikh
A Sikh is a follower of Sikhism. It primarily originated in the 15th century in the Punjab region of South Asia. The term "Sikh" has its origin in Sanskrit term शिष्य , meaning "disciple, student" or शिक्ष , meaning "instruction"...
) namely, Ladakh Buddhist Association, Shia Majlis, Sunni Anjuman, Christian Moravian Church, Hindu Trust and Sikh Gurudwara Prabhandak Committee, to promote national integrity. As a part of the ritual, fifty senior Lama
Lama
Lama is a title for a Tibetan teacher of the Dharma. The name is similar to the Sanskrit term guru .Historically, the term was used for venerated spiritual masters or heads of monasteries...
s conduct a prayer on the banks of the river. A series of cultural programs is also presented by the artists from various states of the country. A sightseeing tour is organized for the participants and the day comes to an end with a bonfire at night. After the cultural programs and sightseeing trip, a Puja is organized on the second day of the Sindhu Darshan Festival. On the third day, the participants get ready for the departure. Leh is jam packed with thousand of tourist, who visit the hill town to be a part of this grand celebrations.
Postage Stamp
The Postal Department of Government of India issued a Postage Stamp depicting Sindhu Darshan Festival on 28 July, 1999. The project 'Sindhu Darshan', was started to focus attention on the heritage of the ancient Indian Civilization and Culture that 'Sindhu' symbolizes. It aims to celebrate the Sindhu as a symbol of this country's ethnic diversity and to promote communal harmony. Further, attention is sought to be focused on cultural and topographical beauty of the landscape of Ladakh. These aspects are sought to be blended in the design of the First Day Cover which also carries inscription of the hymn 'mantraMantra
A mantra is a sound, syllable, word, or group of words that is considered capable of "creating transformation"...
', chanted by Buddhists in the area, a prayer in praise of God. The stamp depicts a landscape in the upper reaches of the Sindhu with an inset of the famous 'Vrishabha' (bull) seal of the Indus Valley Civilization and a line, from the 'Rig Veda', describing the Sindhu.