Monday, Aug 7, 2006
Dogra community Celebrated Raadia Festival
Nadeem Khan in Kathua, Jammu
|
|
Come Shravan (July-August), the auspicious month for Hindus, a festive mood prevails in many regions of north India.
Similar to Teej festival, traditionally celebrated by women to herald the onset of monsoon, Raadia, a month-long colourful festival, is celebrated with full devotional fervour by the women in Dogra community, which lives predominantly in several parts of Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Punjab.
A special function was organised in the Kathua district of Jammu recently to mark Raadia celebrations and in a bid to popularise the Dogra culture.
It was participated by a large number of young girls and women who planted saplings in earthen pots while praying for the prosperity of their families.
Besides the advent of monsoon, Raadia festival is also a celebration for a bumper crop heralding. On this occasion, the newly wed women visit their parents and pray for the welfare of the family members.
The function is also aimed at reaching out to the people getting distanced from the Dogra tradition.
"We want the Dogra festival to be popular and people become aware of it. It is a very colourful festival of the Dogra community. It should reach every corner of the country and be celebrated with pomp and splendour," said Jatinder Khajuria, President of Dogri Youth Cultural club.
Women participated in a Rangoli competition (a traditional art of decorating courtyards and walls of houses) and planted trees around the Rangoli. It is viewed as a sign of good omen for the agriculturists who constitute a major part of population here.
However, some of the participants in the competition were of the view that the Dogra culture has lost its influence among the present day youth since they are influenced by the western culture.
"The youth is not aware of their culture. However, it is still prevalent in the hilly areas. The youth is being driven towards the western culture, " said Suparna Mehra, who bagged first prize in Rangoli competition.
Besides the hallmark of the function was a cultural programme in which participants performed dances and sang Dogri songs. (ANI)
News Copyright © South Asian Women's Forum. May not be reproduced without explicit written permission
 View and Post comment on this article
|
