Open House: Culture brimming, but battling for space in city

Vibrant arts, vanishing space: Praise for key venues mixes with calls for funds, publicity & audience

Stage set, but where’s the audience?

Virsa Vihar and Saigal Memorial Hall are the city’s main cultural hubs. However, the respect that art and culture events receive is much less than what they deserve. The people of Punjab have let down the performance gold of our state — the situation is in the need of a drastic change. The government needs to support NGOs working to host such events, and provide funds to institutions that try to keep our culture alive. People should start respecting and attending cultural events, as this is the most effective way to preserve our rich and beloved heritage. This will provide an atmosphere for new talent to emerge, and gain the platform it deserves. The cultural scene should be expanded, covering a larger scale. Setting up more event halls can be one way to achieve that as it will make cultural representation more efficient and accessible.

Lakshit Jindal

Keeping art, and artistes alive

Jalandhar certainly needs more events and venues to support its culture. Punjabi culture is very rich, and the state is no stranger to ‘bhangra’, ‘tappe’, ‘giddha’ and other cultural programmes being organised at various venues — be it Desh Bhagat Yadgaar Hall, Saigal Memorial Hall or Virsa Vihar. Art exhibitions organised at Virsa Vihar platform artists, and Punjabi culture. Universities, colleges, and schools, on their part, organise functions that celebrate heritage. This is a positive attitude towards the promotion of Punjabi culture. Venues like the Saigal Memorial Hall and Jalandhar Gymkhana Club frequently host musicians — but, due to the membership restrictions at the latter, only a select few can enjoy these. Schools and colleges should organise showcases of music sung by celebrated singers of the yesteryears — Surinder Kaur, Parkash Kaur, Asa Singh Mastana, Jagjit Singh, Mohammad Rafi, KL Saigal, Lata Mangeshkar, RD Burman, SD Burman and others. At cultural programmes, LED screens should be placed

outside venues so that more people can enjoy our heritage.

Rajat Kumar Mohindru

Publicity for events needed in city

The existence of venues like the Virsa Vihar and the Saigal Memorial Hall in a city like Jalandhar is a privilege, but, unfortunately, the facilities remain under-utilised to great extent. Painting exhibitions are occasionally arranged at Virsa Vihar, but, due to lack of publicity and passive media coverage, the response of the audience is found lukewarm — insufficient to promote similar future events. The Saigal Memorial Hall, however, seems to be doing much better, hosting musical evenings articulately planned by the Bollywood Club — a voluntary association dedicated to the cause of promoting music. Another organisation, called Yuva Rangmanch, dedicated to the cause of theatre promotion is doing a wonderful job at progressive entertainment. Still, much is left desired, especially in view of the urban spread of Jalandhar. More auditoriums and halls are required to promote our rich cultural heritage. Events on festivals such as Lohri, Baisakhi, Basant Panchami; active community participation; and exploring the commercial viability of well-planned activities is needed.

Jagdish Chander

Showcases should be held more frequently

More cultural events should be organised in places such as Virsa Vihar so that people, especially the younger generation, can stay connected with their culture and roots. Regular exposure to such spaces helps children develop a deeper appreciation for art, heritage, and community values. It also provides a meaningful alternative to excessive screen time and encourages them to engage with the world around them. The administration should take active steps to ensure that children are given ample opportunities to participate in and attend these cultural programmes. By increasing the number of such events, we can create a vibrant environment that nurtures creativity, strengthens cultural identity, and inspires a lifelong love

for the arts.

Yashvita Sharma

Decline of traditional artforms alarming

There is a decline in traditional cultural spaces, and traditional art also seems to be dying. Many old ‘kala kendras’, ‘natak mandlis’ and community theatres have either shuttered or lost relevance. One of the main reason is that urbanisation and cinema has replaced many heritage sites and community grounds. People prefer to go to cinemas and spend hefty amounts, instead of going to watch performances staged by local artistes. Artists need funds to revive the tradition — which is where the government is found lacking. Folk artforms such ‘giddha’, ‘bhangra’, ‘kavishri’, ‘dhadi’, and ‘nautanki’ have drastically declined because of a lack of audience, and no platform. The Virsa Vihar and the Saigal Memorial Hall are virtually the only two centres promoting the state’s cultural richness in the city. Bollywood Club, birthed by like-minded people, encourages local singers to perform at KL Sehgal Memorial, and is doing fantastic job at it. The Yuva Rangmanch has started staging ‘nataks’ that carry a small entry fee, since it needs funds. Villages of the region lack cultural spaces. In the olden days, village ‘chaupals’ used to serve as a place for fun activities. The government should encourage this practice, and allocate funds to maintain cultural centres.

Shashi Kiran

Urban expansion births need for more venues

From time immemorial, social and cultural events have played a pivotal role in preserving heritage and enriching the fabric of societal bonding. They offer an impeccable medium to create awareness among people, foster cordial relations, and nurture a spirit of collective identity. Such activities not only showcase the artistic richness and beauty of a community, but also strengthen the emotional bonding and cultural ties that hold society together. Virsa Vihar and Saigal Memorial Hall in Jalandhar serve as vibrant hubs of cultural expression. These centres host numerous events throughout the year — folk performances, literary gatherings, exhibitions, musical evenings, and heritage festivals. These entertain citizens while promoting unity and amity among various sections of the community. The programmes held at these venues carry a lasting message of mutual goodwill, peaceful coexistence, and respect among diverse sections of society. By celebrating shared traditions and creative pursuits, these venues help in fostering communal harmony and ethnic inclusiveness, and also awaken people to combat prevailing social evils. However, with the rapid increase in population and the colossal expansion of residential localities, the demand for such cultural spaces has grown considerably. More community-oriented cultural centres, auditoriums and interactive art platforms need to be developed across the city so that a wider section of residents can access them conveniently. Strengthening the cultural infrastructure will not only enrich civic life but also reinforce the moral and social foundations of our society.

Nirmaljit Singh Chatrath

More events needed for kids’ enrichment

We definitely need more places where cultural activities are organised regularly. Such events are limited, and their absence affects communities — especially young people. Children should have more opportunities to visit spaces where they can explore art, music, literature, and history. These experiences not only enrich their creativity and understanding of the world, but also help them spend time away from mobile phones. By expanding access to cultural events and ensuring that these are held more frequently, we can create healthier, more engaging environments that support learning, curiosity, and meaningful social interaction for families.

Tavish Aggarwal

Posh bars outnumber cultural platforms

Jalandhar is a historic city with a long tradition of hosting a syncretic culture which has assimilated various streams of thought. These have co-existed peacefully while retaining their individual presence. It is ironic that Jalandhar doesn’t even have a single site or museum dedicated to its own illustrious history. The city has been awfully ignorant of its own lineage and culture. The same ignorance reflects in its cultural scene as well. Despite the presence of art spaces – such as Saigal Memorial Hall, Desh Bhagat Yadgaar Hall, Virsa Vihar and the Red Cross Bhawan – Jalandhar is way behind wherein cultural venues are concerned, compared to other Punjab areas such as Chandigarh, Amritsar and even Ludhiana. Posh restaurants and bars far outnumber cultural spaces. Given the amount of artistes it has produced, the city should have been host to a big cultural centre by now. Regular and sustained efforts must be made to revive cultural debate, events, spaces and collectives.

Nirmaljit Singh

Conspicuous elitism at programmes

Theatre, art, dance and other cultural events being hosted in Jalandhar are so few that they can be counted on fingers. People run commercial events privately at stores, restaurants, and even workshops at home, but the city lacks a space where all these events can be hosted publicly for common people to participate in. Except a few spaces, art and culture are mostly reserved as activities for the elite, with the audience often coming from well-off backgrounds. Artistes and well-meaning citizens need to unite to create spaces which are open for all, and where the frequency of events is much more. It must be ensured that there are spaces where art exhibitions, theatre events, and musical evenings take place round the year so that bored citizens may have a better pursuit to stimulate their senses within the city – rather than seeking inspiration elsewhere.

Anita Khanna