‘Mela Dheeyan Da’ brings village daughters at common place

Karam Prakash

Tribune News Service

Patiala, February 24

Jasbir Kaur came all the way from Dhuri in Sangrur district to meet her old friends at ‘Mela Dheeyan Da’ held at a government school, Lubana village, in Nabha on Sunday. 

‘Mela Dheeyan Da’ is a festival of the daughters, by the daughters and for the daughters. 

Coming back to her parents’ house has always been a joy for Manjit Kaur, but she had a lot more to flaunt this time when she was invited to her native village to attend  ‘Mela Dheeyan Da’.

Manjit brought her daughter Dilpreet Kaur to the mela to show her that the village still cherishes its loving daughters.

In fact, the village organises the mela with a sole purpose to get the daughters of the village, young or old, together to keep them connected with their village and childhood friends. They have been organising this fest since 2014.

Some other villages in Punjab also organise the festival to recognise the value of the daughters.

Besides bringing old friends to a common platform, the event is also aimed at changing the mindset of the people towards the girls.

Organised by Awaaz-e-Jug Janani, the function brought a large number of village’s daughters together at a common place, giving them an opportunity to recall their childhood and have a chit-chat with their childhood friends.

Apart from that, the festival was an attempt of unmarried girls of the village to reunite with the married girls and to make them realised that they still belong to their village.

Overwhelmed with the warmth bestowed on them, the village daughters had tears in their eyes. Parents of many daughters, who returned to the village after a long gap, are not in this world.

Jatinder Kaur said, “It is a great initiative by young daughters of the village. Moreover, it not only reunites the daughters but also empowers the village girls.”

Narinder Kaur said, “Even though we visit the village on and off, but we never get an opportunity to catch up with all our friends together. There is hardly any common occasion.”