The Minister of culture, religion and tourism Satpal Maharaj said on Friday that for hundreds of years, Uttarakhand has not just nurtured religion and philosophy but also folk literature, culture and art. He said that the traditional folk song style of Uttarakhand has attracted writers, lyricists, singers and poets. The Minister said this after inaugurating a two-day literature conference organised by the Culture department here on Friday.
Addressing the gathering, Maharaj said that the traditional dhol (drum) style of Uttarakhand finds mention in the Skand Puran.
For thousands of years, the playing of drums has also been a conveyer of messages. Considering this, the state had organised a state-level Namo Nad programme in which about 1,000 drummers had participated. He said that Uttarakhand is the land of the brave. Lores of braves from Teelu Rautela to Madho Singh Bhandari among others exist and need to be compiled and conserved. “Our traditional songs are an integral part of our culture. The effort of the state government is aimed at compiling these songs so that they can be preserved. There are also old paintings at Lakhudiyar, Almora which need to be preserved,” said the minister.
Mahamandaleshwar Hari Chetanand and Swami Annapurnand were also among those present in the inaugural session.