3-day Sindhu festival begins in Leh,400% increase in tourist arrival

Leh, Jun 12 (UNI) The annual three-day Ladakh Sindhu festival began on the bank of famous Indus river in Leh, which has registered a 400 per cent increase in the domestic tourist arrival till May this year.

Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad inaugurated the festival in presence of thousands of people, witnessing the colourful ceremony held on the bank of the famous Indus River.

The members of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Art, Culture and Tourism, currently on a study tour of Ladakh, also witnessed the gala event that included cultural items performed by Ladakhi artistes who enthralled the audience with their performancs.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr Azad said rivers like the Indus have offered their laps for civilisations to take birth and thrive.

He said the river is culturally very significant for the people and the civilisation that has taken birth along its banks and flourished with the passage of time.

He said India is proud to have rich civilisation originated on the banks of its sacred rivers, including the Indus and it should be our duty to keep alive their significance.

The Chief Minister said the people of Ladakh region, through which the Indus flows, are peace loving and the river is the carrier of this message to the other side of the border.

He said the Ladakh Sindhu Festival is an expression of the love and affinity the people feel towards the river. He said it is also a strong medium to promote cultural values and tourism in the region.

He said festival has helped in the promotion of tourism in Ladakh as tourists love to come and see the culture of the region which is aptly depicted during the festival.

Mr Azad expressed satisfaction over the 400 per cent increase in the arrival of domestic tourists till May this year over the corresponding period of the last year.

UNI BAS ASM SB BD1852