Home Art and Culture Sindhis to celebrate Sindhi Folk Music Day on June 26 in India

Sindhis to celebrate Sindhi Folk Music Day on June 26 in India

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Sindhis to celebrate Sindhi Folk Music Day on June 26 in India
Logo of Sindhi Folk Music Day

The Sindhi Central Panchayat of Bilaspur City of Chhatishgarh State is organizing a grand ceremony to mark the day for preserving and promoting Sindhi folk music and culture. The Day will be celebrated every year on 4th Sunday of June.    

Sindh Courier Exclusive

Bilaspur, India

A grand ceremony is being organized to celebrate Sindhi Folk Music Day on June 26, the 4th Sunday of current month, in Bilaspur city of Chhatishgarh state, India. The ceremony is being held by Sindhi Central Panchayat Bilaspur, an organization of local Sindhis. The program will be held at Lakhiram auditorium at 5.30p.m.

This is first time that this day – Sindhi Lok Sangeet Utsav is being celebrated and will be an annual feature in the future. Originally, it was Sindhi Sarangi Day, celebrated last year on June 27, as the Sindhi Sarangi has 27 strings, however the Sindhi Panchayat later decided to turn this day into Sindhi Folk Music Day so that all the nine folk Sindhi music instruments, folk music and songs could be promoted. It was further decided that instead of June 27, the celebration will be held on fourth Sunday of June so that the Sindhis and other people can participate in celebrations in maximum numbers.

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Commemorative postal stamp to be released on Sindhi Folk Music Day

“A number of programs have been planned for this day, but another exciting news is that a commemorative Indian postal stamp of Rs.5 denomination of Sindhi Lok Sangeet will also be released on this occasion,” Rajesh Kumar Parasramani, an acclaimed player of Sindhi Sarangi, told Sindh Courier from Bilaspur.

June 27 set to observe World Sindhi Sarangi Day- Rajesh- SindhCourier
Rajesh Kumar Parasramani

“The main features of the commemorative stamps include a logo with portraits of great Sufi poet Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai and Sufi singer Sant Kanwar Ram, an image of a boy and a girl performing Chhej, a Sindh cultural dance, while images of all the nine folk music instruments including Sarangi, Alghozo, Yaktaro, Borindo, Chang, Tanburo, Sharnai and Gharro or Matt etc. appear in the circle where the image of dancing girl found from Mohen Jo Daro is also shown on both sides. Sindhi Lok Sangeet Utsav is inscribed above in the logo and there is name of organization at its bottom,” he told sharing the image of the stamp and added that the stamp very much represents Sindhi folk music and culture as has been designed specifically to highlight it.

Rajesh told further that the commemorative stamps will be presented to the dignitaries at the event after getting the same laminated. “We have purchased six sets of stamps, each set containing 12 stamps.”

Various colorful programs have been planned that include singing of Bhajans, folk songs, playing of folk music instruments etc. Moreover a short documentary on Sindhi folk music instruments will also be screened on this occasion.

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Commemorative postal stamp of Sindhi Sarangi player late Ustad Chheeme Khan

Ustad Lalu Khan, an Ajmer-based Sindhi Sarangi maker and player, will also participate and present to the Panchayat the 150-year old Sindhi Sarangi made and played by his grandfather Ustad Chheeme Khan. A commemorative stamp has also been printed to honor Ustad Chheeme Khan,” he said.

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P. N. Bajaj, President, Sindhi Central Panchayat Bilaspur
Sindhi-Folk-Music-Vinita-Sindh-Courier
Ms. Vinita Bhavnani of Bharatiya Sindhu Sabha

The awards will also be given to those who have played their role in promoting Sindhi music and culture and serving the community.

Meanwhile, Mr. P. N. Bajaj, President, Sindhi Central Panchayat Bilaspur and Ms. Vinita Bhavnani of Bharatiya Sindhu Sabha said in their video messages that Sindhis have inherited from the elders the rich culture, folk music, folk music instruments and the language, and they have to preserve and promote their heritage.

They invited all the Sindhis to actively participate in the event to make it a success and play due role in promoting Sindhi culture and language.

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