Spring Dale student brings Dilruba back into the spotlight

A city-based young enthusiast was conferred with a national award for her remarkable efforts to showcase the regional culture of her state to the world. Seeratjot Kaur, a Class VIII student at Spring Dale Senior School, has been honoured with the prestigious “INTACH–Celebrating India” award, conferred by ‘Young INTACH’ to promote and celebrate India's regional heritage.

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Seeratjot’s award-winning project focused on the traditional Punjabi folk musical instrument, the ‘Dilruba’. This instrument, popular during the golden era of Punjab’s history, is believed to have been invented during the time of Guru Gobind Singh. It is considered a modified version of the Taus and the Dhrupad Rabab, which Bhai Mardana played while accompanying Guru Nanak Dev on his journeys.

“Out of 9,000 participants competing for the award, Seeratjot not only won a national award but also an educational trip to the heritage sites of Delhi and an interactive session with the heritage experts,” said Sahiljit Singh Sandhu, Chairman of the Spring Dale Educational Society.

As part of her project, Seeratjot created a detailed painting of the Dilruba being played and captured the instrument’s form and features. She submitted this painted poster along with thorough research on its structure, cultural significance and its current status in mainstream music for INTACH’s heritage competition.

School Principal Rajiv Kumar Sharma expressed his pride and congratulated Seeratjot and her teachers for this exceptional accomplishment. “At Spring Dale, heritage education is not just taught, it is actively practiced. Since 2010, our school has been entrusted by the Punjab Government’s Tourism Promotion Board with the responsibility of maintaining ‘Pul Moran’, a monument associated with Maharaja Ranjit Singh. Our efforts have turned the monument into a prominent landmark, which attracts students, visitors and history enthusiasts alike from across the globe,” Sharma added.