Bhal Padri hosts first Forest & Tourism festival, draws huge crowd in Doda
Doda, July 20: The pristine meadows of Bhal Padri in Doda district came alive with colour, culture, and celebration as the region hosted its first-ever Forest and Tourism Festival, drawing an impressive turnout of nature lovers, locals, and tourists.
The festival was organised by the Educational, Environmental, Social, Sports & Cultural Society Bhallesa (EESS\&CS) in collaboration with the District Administration Doda, J&K Tourism Department, Forest Department (Bhaderwah Division), J&K Academy of Art, Culture & Languages, Mera Yuva Bharat Doda, and Civil Society Bhallesa. The event aimed to spotlight Bhallesa’s natural splendour, cultural richness, and unexplored tourism potential while fostering environmental awareness and community participation.
Thousands gathered for the day-long celebration, including locals, tourists, and senior government officials. Notable dignitaries included Chairman DDC Doda Dhananter Singh Kotwal, MLA Bhaderwah Daleep Singh Parihar, Deputy Commissioner Doda Harvinder Singh, SSP Doda Sandeep Kumar, CEO Bhaderwah Development Authority Joginder Jasrotia, and ADC Bhaderwah Sunil Bhutyal, along with the SDM Gandoh, Commanding Officer of 4 Rashtriya Rifles, and other senior officers.
The cultural showcase featured traditional music, the Tarana-e-Bhallesa, and folk dances. A unique joint Naat and Bhajan performance underscored the region’s spirit of harmony, while a tribute to ancestors and felicitation of guests added emotional depth to the event. Students from CSAM-HSS Kilhotran performed the National Anthem and other cultural numbers to great applause.
Infusing adventure and environmental consciousness, the festival included a 2-km “Run for Bhallesa,” an 8-km Eco Walk, Dekhlo folk dance, Tug of War, horse race, and the symbolic tree plantation campaign “Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam.”
The festivities concluded with a literary evening — Shaam-e-Sukhan: Bhallesa Ke Naam — where acclaimed poets paid tribute to the region’s rich poetic and cultural traditions.
