Daneesha from Basantgarh to represent J&K at MoE’s ‘Kala Utsav’

Jammu, Dec 2: Daneesha Devi, an eleventh grader from far-flung area of Basantgarh in Udhampur district, will represent Jammu and Kashmir “Kala Utsav-2023-24”, being organised by the Ministry of Education (MoE), Government of India.

She will perform Dogri folk song “Kohri” under the “Vocal Music-Traditional Folk” category.

“Daneesha Devi, daughter of Bodh Raj, is a student of Government Higher Secondary School (HSS) Basantgarh. She has created a sort of history by becoming the first girl student of zone Dudu, who will represent Jammu and Kashmir in a prestigious national level contest,” said her mentor, in a press statement.

Kala Utsav is an initiative of the Ministry of Education under Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha, to promote arts in education by nurturing and showcasing the artistic talent of school students at the secondary stage in the country.

Daneesha had won the UT level competition by performing a heart-rending “Kohri” – a form of traditional Dogri folk song, in the presence of Principal Secretary School Education Department J&K Alok Kumar at Teachers Bhawan, Jammu.

In her performance, Daneesha was accompanied by Mohit Kumar on Dholak; Surjeet Singh on Flute and Rakesh Kumar on Harmonium.

“Kohri” is one of the oldest and sweetest singing folk forms of Jammu division. It is almost on the verge of extinction. However, the selection of Daneesha to present this form at a national level competition under the mentorship of Zonal Incharge of Culture and Education Cell (ZICC) Dudu and famous Dogri folk singer-performer Subash Brahamanu, with the active support of Principal and teachers of HSS Basantgarh, has raised a ray of hope regarding revival of this beautiful singing folk form.