Pahari Day celebrated in Shimla’s Rampur with cultural programmes

State-level Pahadi Day celebrations were organised at the GB Pant Memorial College, Rampur, Shimla district, which was inaugurated by Rampur MLA and the Chairman of the 7th State Finance Commission, Nand Lal.

He said that on November 1, 1966, on the recommendation of the Punjab States Reorganisation Commission, the districts of Kangra, Hamirpur, Una, and Lahaul-Spiti in Punjab were incorporated into Himachal Pradesh. “To commemorate this day, the Department of Language and Culture celebrates Pahari Day annually on November 1,” he said.

The event featured cultural performances by the students of Rampur College and a speech by Dr Vijay Kumar Stokes, who spoke about ‘Himachal’s Vanishing Cultural Heritage’. He highlighted the region’s regional dialects, folk music, dances and musical instruments. A Pahadi Kavi Sammelan featuring renowned poets — Surender Minhas, Baburam Dhiman and Prem Pal Arya — recited their poems. Besides, a book exhibition was organised by Himachal Kala Sanskriti Academy.