Shakti Pathak
pathaksvanu@gmail.com
Recently, when I heard ‘Basohli Shehar Bada Payara Lagda’ sung by a young boy Naitik it gave goose bumps and took me to my childhood days when I and my friends used to wake with the morning prayers at Neelkanth temple and then honking by first Jammu bound bus, dive in the waters of the ‘archipelago’ of bowlies, hide in the natural and carved caves, catch hold of the fuel wood in the flowing waters of the river Ravi, play in the bushes around the ruins of fort, draw liknu and sitlu on the doors and stones,pray and tie sutra at bawa bleta and relish babroo, thodi, patrodu and dham on rutt radaas on every Sunday in sawan month, in winters cozied up with pattus and pathanu, and partied by wearing grandma’s affectionate pashminas, awe struck with Hanuman Flying scenes, Imitate acts of Ramleela in the house yards. This all is stored in minds and memories. But when construction of Thein dam now Ranjit Sagar Dam started, it snatched away our ever enjoyable moments and one of the oldest Tehsil HQ established since 1911 became a deserted place because of migration of adjacent villagers, natives in the search of good education, job and business. The land of vibrant colors turned lifeless like autumn and remained in oblivion for about 30 years.
Thanks to Atal Sethu over the lake which connected this abandoned and deserted art pinnacle with the rest of the adjoining habitations in 2014 when the then Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar inaugurated it. And it had to be reborn as it was not simply a settlement of people migrated from indo gangetic plains in early seventh and then17th century but a society with common ethos, values, heritage, faith and great wisdom.On the tranquil banks of the Ranjit Sagar Lake, the ancient town of Basohli again blossoms in a vibrant confluence of art, devotion and heritage. Just as the drawing room of a home reflects its aesthetic sense, warmth and values, the Basohli reflects the soul of Jammu regions’s culture- colorful, graceful, artistic and deeply rooted in spiritualism and tradition. It’s where people before moving to the hinterland can gather to converse, celebrate and have glimpse of the canvass of the Duggar land…
‘Mitra Basohli deya’ famous dogri song reminds the story of Raja Kripal Pal whose charm and beauty was major attraction for women of Delhi Durbar at the time of Shahjahan. ‘Chitri di Dikhi le Bsohli’ a line of famous dogri song ‘oye mithdi e dogren di boli te khand mithe log dogre’underlines Basohli as land of colours. Folk songs and folk lores are full of such stories which depict the richness of the region in art, craft, literature, nature’s treasure and beauty.
Basohli also known as Vishwasthali is not only an ancient town but a cradle of Pahari Miniature art being its first school and also Dogra aesthetics. Any administrative unit can enrich its economy, its populace and glaze its grace by highlighting and showcasing its cultural richness. Basohli has that richness figuring out as a ‘chumblu’in the Dogra land. So, the idea of Basohli Festival i.e. Basohli Utsav was conceived in 2023 to present this land for the tourists, art connoisseurs, nature lovers, adventurers, gen z enthusiasts, story tellers, performers and entrepreneurs. It was named after Basohli but in core it was to represent all Dogra facets at one place on one occasion of world famous Basohli Ramleela which is more than century old and unique in being played in the open and at more than one venues. A place which has more than one distinguished heritage has the right to lead as a place of celebration. It is distinguished in Pahari Miniature. It is distinguished in antiquity and style of staging Ramleela, it is distinguished in holding traditions in their originality, it is distinguished for its pashmina a direct competitor of Kashmir pashmina, it is distinguished in its Dogri dialect, it is distinguished in its location and is distinguished in many more. Every generation of Dogra region would feel pride in it and thus the Basohli Utsav.
Basohli Utsav stands out not only as a tribute to the past, but also as an inspiration for a culturally confident future. In his Mann Ki Baat address (2023), Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised the Basohli painting tradition as “a priceless jewel of India’s artistic heritage.” He highlighted the town’s role in reviving India’s miniature art and urged citizens to visit Basohli to witness this cultural wonder.
Through this article I also urge the people of Jammu Kashmir to visit Basohli, interact with people, research the reasons of such a rich cultural history and showcase it. Celebrating Basohli through festival is an act of cultural preservation and revival of a living museum of colors, craft, folk, traditions and community spirit. It connects modern Jammu and Kashmir to its artistic legacy and inspires pride among people of Dogra land. I am of this firm opinion that Basohli is not merely a town- it is an emotion, where every brushstroke tells story and every prayer resonates as tradition or reflects as art.
(The author is IPS Officer, presently posted as Director ACB)
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