Baba Farid Aagman Purb declared heritage festival

Faridkot, Sep 22 (UNI) Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today announced that ''Baba Farid Aagman Purb'' would be declared as 'Heritage Festival' from the next annual plan on the pattern of Heritage festivals of Patiala, Amritsar and Kapurthala.

Presiding over the 23rd Baba Sheikh Farid Rural Sports and Cultural Festival organised here to commemorate the 'Aagman Purb' of the great spiritual ambassadors, poet prophet and founder of 'Sufi' tradition in the region, Mr Badal said the Heritage Festival would promote the cultural and ethnic significance of Baba Sheikh Farid's legacy in far more emphatic manner.

Mr Badal said that the Punjab government would make provision of funds for the commemoration of 'Aagman Purb' of Baba Sheikh Farid in the next annual plan so that it could be well organised on a large scale keeping in view its importance being declared as the National Festival by the Central government in 1998.

Paying glowing tributes to Baba Sheikh Farid, the Chief Minister said that Baba Farid was ''father of Punjabi poetry and his message was of universal relevance.'' Baba Sheikh Farid's Bani, including 112 shaloks and 4 Shabads had been incorporated in Sri Guru Granth Sahib by Sri Guru Arjan Dev ji, he added.

Later, elaborating upon his government's plan for overall development of Faridkot district, Mr. Badal said the age old cultural heritage of erstwhile princely state of Faridkot would be preserved at all costs and government would prepare a comprehensive plan for the same.

He would soon hold a series of Sangat Darshan in Faridkot, Panjgraian and Kotkapura to listen to the grievances of the people and their redressal on the spot.

Mr Badal also honoured 5 eminent personalities, President INTACH Chapter Faridkot Prof Baltej Singh Brar, noted poet Fuja Singh Brar, renowned playwright Dr Ajmer Singh Aulakh, Research Scholar Subhash Parihar and District Public Relations Officer Manohar Singh for their outstanding contribution in their respective fields with a cash award of Rs 5100, citation and a shawl.

He also honoured 5 top wrestlers of the state including Randhir Singh Dhira, Hari Krishan, Balwant Rai, Harpreet Singh and Mandeep Kaur. He also released a souvenir 'Faridkot Chronicle' prepared by the Faridkot District cultural society on the occasion.

Later the Chief Minister inaugurated Rs.2.21 crore fully air-conditioned Farid Auditorium in the local Baba Farid Public School. He announced a grant of Rs 10 lakh for a library and a shooting range in the school.

UNI XC JN BP1851