In a remarkable celebration of cultural harmony, heritage and development, a day-long mega Border Festival 'Jashn-e-Sarhad, Sufi Saaz ke Sang' was held today at Shahdara Sharief in Uri under the Vibrant Villages Programme (VVP-II).
The grand festival was organized through a joint collaboration between the Directorate of Information and PR, Jammu and Kashmir, and the District Administration Baramulla. The festival was graced by Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) Uri, Dr. Sajad Shafi, as the chief guest and was attended by a host of dignitaries, including DIG North Kashmir, Masqood-ul-Zaman; Deputy Commissioner Baramulla, Minga Sherpa; Commander 161 Brigade, Brig. Manish Sehgal; SSP Baramulla, Gurinderpal Singh; Joint Director Information Kashmir, Syed Shahnawaz Bukhari and several other senior civil and army officers.
The event drew an enthusiastic crowd of hundreds from Shahadara village and adjoining border villages, transforming the serene Sufi site into a lively hub of celebration and civic engagement. District Information Officer Baramulla, Iftakhar Naseem, in his welcome address set the tone for a day filled with cultural vibrancy and administrative outreach.
Speaking on the occasion, MLA expressed his gratitude to the district administration for organizing the festival and urged for more such events to boost eco, border, and pilgrimage tourism in the region.
The festival featured a rich showcase of musical and cultural performances, reflecting the spirit of the border region and its Sufi heritage. Electrifying acts by Jhankar Band, Pir Panjal Strings, Ishfaq Ahmad (Bal Puraskar Awardee), and a soulful presentation by the Police Band captivated the audience throughout the event.
Assistant Commissioner Development (ACD) Baramulla, Choudhary Mudasir Hussain, addressed the gathering and highlighted key components of the Vibrant Villages Programme being implemented in the district, including all-weather road connectivity, cultural and linguistic preservation, and public health and education infrastructure in the border belt.
Earlier in the day, the dignitaries inspected stalls set up by various departments such as Health, Education, ICDS, Handicrafts, and the Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM), providing citizens with vital information on government welfare schemes, healthcare services, livelihood opportunities, and women-centric empowerment initiatives.
The festival not only offered a vibrant cultural platform to the border residents but also served as a testament to the government’s commitment under Vibrant Villages Programme Phase II to integrate development with tradition and inclusion with innovation.
The event concluded on a high note with community interactions and renewed hope among the border population for sustained development, cultural revival, and administrative attention in the remote frontier zones of Jammu & Kashmir.