By IANS,
Srinagar : “Daag Ko Koun Dene Wala Tha/Jo Diya Hai Khuda Diya Tune” – the Urdu ghazal of well-known poet Daag Delhvi sung by a Sufi singer set the mood for the three-day Sufi festival of music and dance that began here Thursday evening.
Artists from Egypt, Syria, Uzbekistan and Pakistan are scheduled to perform at the Sher-e-Kashmir International Convention Complex during the festival. It has been organised by the Jammu and Kashmir Cultural Academy jointly with the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB).
At Thursday’s brief inaugural session, a folk group from Egypt performed here with some local artists. Later, Sufi singer Radhika Chopra had the audience enthralled with her renditions.
The festival was declared open by state Governor S.K. Sinha.
Karan Singh, chairman of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations, was the chief guest at the function.
Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, his wife Shameema Azad, and some prominent citizens were also present at the inaugural.
Zafar Iqbal Manhas, secretary of the cultural academy, said artists from Pakistan, Syria and Uzbekistan would arrive here Friday to perform during the festival.