Basohli Utsav | Celebrating Rich Heritage of Art & Culture | Global Recognition of Artisan Products The Lieutenant Governor gave his best wishes to the people for Basohli Utsav. He said that for the first time he is seeing an ‘Utsav’ usually he sees ‘mahotsav’. The tradition of festivals and fairs has been going on since ancient times, LG said. Just think, there are so many diamonds scattered in the seemingly ordinary villages. I feel that Basohli is also a simple and sacred place where the precious stones and pearls of our historical pride are scattered here. We all should express our gratitude to the organising committee. The immense love for the country’s soil and spirit of art has been the special identity of this region. Basohli’s cultural art flag is spread across the country in different languages. Many generations associated with the art with great sincerity have also seen its golden period. They have seen difficult days, have faced days of struggle and many people have also lived in anonymity. It cannot be restored to its golden age through external efforts. Unless the local people actively participate in this, which is their responsibility, I think it will be a little difficult to achieve this glory. Basohli painting tagging has been confirmed. And due to this, the artists of Basohli in the country will be known in the world and seekers of this cultural heritage art can know about the artist and the art. Along with this, with the help of all the stakeholders, Basohli Pashmina has also been tagged, LG said. We are seeing massive changes in the coming days Whether it is Kashmir’s carpet or Pashmina, after GI tagging, its export has increased. It is the responsibility of the district administration to provide the rights of artisans, LG said. I would also like to say to all the concerned departments that this is a work in which they should work with dedication so that their vision can be realised. If we do this considering it to be a normal government work, we will not be able to achieve the goals we want. And we should always keep in mind that this is a sacred work. It is a sacred act to participate in the great sacrifice of development. On this occasion, the Lt Governor also paid tribute to the noble memory of Raja Bhupat Pal. LG said Raja Bhupat Pal not only established Basohli foundation but also worked to instill a living soul in this art. Under his tutelage, over the years, we have created such priceless creations taking inspiration from every corner of the country, which has no parallel in the entire world, LG said. In this Utsav in the Artisan Village you can meet those priceless gems who have preserved the diamonds of our cultural heritage till now. I would urge that while going back home, it is useless to go without taking the products made from their hard work and then one should not come to the festival. I believe that art and culture are a strong and vibrant stream of society. Jammu and Kashmir has made its place in the country and I hope that in the coming days, efforts are being made to establish good governance here.