The first ever Ladakh International Music Festival (LIMF) concluded in Leh on Monday, officials said on Tuesday. The army said that the event, which was conducted over three days from April 30 to May 2, saw performances by local as well as contemporary bands. "The event was aimed at paying tribute to heroes who laid down their lives for the motherland as also to showcase local talent and music as part of 'youth empowerment'," the army said. The event was organised at Col Sonam Wangchuk Stadium in Leh by two media houses, 'Picture Time' and 'Sky2Ocean', with support from Fire and Fury Corps, Ministry of Culture and Tourism Department of the Union Territory of Ladakh.
"Leading bands of the country, including 'Indian Ocean', 'Tetseo Sisters Nagaland', 'Parashra Band' and 'Joi Barua Band' participated in the festival along with six local bands from Leh," the army said. The event provided a platform to the local bands to participate alongside contemporary musicians from the rest of the country. In addition to the leading bands, Bollywood celebrities Darshan Kumar and Richa Chadha also attended the event. The army said the event witnessed an overwhelming response from locals, tourists as well as media houses and was a grand success. To pay tribute to the bravehearts who laid down their lives in the defence of Ladakh, a new metaverse ready song composed by Joi Barua will be released at the Rezangla War Memorial on Wednesday.