Indian folk troupe shines at Salalah International Festival

A 16-member team from Punjab and Delhi brought laurels to the nation by presenting a scintillating multicultural extravaganza at the Salalah International Folk Festival in the Sultanate of Oman.

Performing under the banner of the Punjab Cultural Promotion Council (PCPC), the group enthralled the audiences with bhangrag Giddha and other cultural presentations. The vibrancy of Punjab’s heritage, along with India’s diverse traditions, reverberated through every performance.

The troupe was led by Dr Davinder Singh Chhina, retired principal of a government school in Ludhiana. Members included bhangra captain Gurinder Singh Mehrok (Khalsa College alumni), music director Harjeet Singh Guddu, folk singer Harinder Kaur Hundal (Punjabi University, Patiala), Gatka expert Baljinder Singh Toor (Machhiwara), choreographers Prof Shaina Parmar, Gagandeep Singh Nanrhe, Mandeep Singh Lotey, Navpreet Kaur Lotey (teacher, Nankana Sahib School), along with Bansi Lal (dholi), Zorawar Singh (Delhi), Rajinder Singh (Delhi), Gursimran Singh, Krishan Kumar, Devender Singh and Jaspreet Singh (Delhi).

More than 16 countries, including Slovakia, Bulgaria, Italy, Russia and Mexico, participated in the festival, which served as a platform for cultural exchange in the first week of August.

The Indian Social Club, Salalah, led by its president Rakesh Kumar Jha, along with Gurdwara president Ranjit Singh, felicitated Dr Chhina and his team for promoting folk culture and Sikh heritage on an international stage.

Speaking to The Tribune, Dr Chhina said, “Our Punjabi folk panorama included bhangra, giddha, jindua, malwai gidha and dhol beats. We created an atmosphere in Oman that mesmerised all. Folk songs such as jugni and boliyan by Harinder Kaur Hundal, and solo performances by Navpreet Kaur Lotey, were widely appreciated. The Sikh martial art, Gatka, introduced a new dimension of Punjab’s folk culture to the global audience.”

This year also marks the jubilee celebrations of the Punjab Cultural Promotion Council. Since beginning its global journey from Lithuania in 2001, the council has represented Indian traditions at several international festivals in Australia, Europe, South Korea, Taiwan, Qatar and Oman, spreading the message of peace and cultural harmony for the past 25 years.