RAMBAN: The two-day Folk Festival at the picturesque Sunaseri (Guglidhar) meadow in Pogal Paristan concluded on Sunday, drawing thousands of visitors and celebrating the rich cultural heritage, folk traditions and ethnic identity of the Pahari community.
Organised by local residents in collaboration with the District Administration Ramban, Directorate of Tourism Jammu and the Jammu & Kashmir Academy of Art, Culture and Languages, the festival aimed to promote indigenous culture while highlighting Sunaseri’s growing potential as a rural and eco-tourism destination.
The event witnessed enthusiastic participation from locals and tourists, who enjoyed traditional folk music, cultural performances, ethnic cuisine and a range of community activities amid the scenic surroundings of the high-altitude meadow.
MLA Ramban Arjun Singh Raju, Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Alyas Khan, SSP Arun Gupta, SDM Ramsoo Sayed Mazahir Hussain Shah and other civil and police officers joined the celebrations.
A major highlight of the festival was the inauguration of newly developed tourism infrastructure by the MLA. The facilities, created by the Public Works (R&B) Department at an estimated cost of ₹2.17 crore, include eco-log huts, viewpoints, benches, drainage systems and pedestrian pathways aimed at improving visitor amenities while preserving the area’s natural ecology.
Addressing the gathering, Raju described Sunaseri as one of Ramban’s most scenic yet underexplored destinations and appreciated the efforts of the district administration and local community in preserving the region’s cultural traditions. He expressed his commitment to making the festival an annual post-monsoon event to attract more tourists and promote the area on the tourism map.
Deputy Commissioner Alyas Khan said the festival had provided an important platform for showcasing the region’s vibrant Pahari culture, folk traditions, music, cuisine and artistic heritage while encouraging tourism-led development.
The festival featured colourful Pahari folk performances, traditional music and dance programmes, exhibitions of local art forms, rural sports competitions and camping activities, offering visitors an immersive experience of the culture and natural beauty of Pogal Paristan.
Officials and participants described the event as a successful blend of cultural preservation and tourism promotion, reinforcing Sunaseri’s emergence as a promising eco-tourism destination in the Chenab Valley.
