02-Days Balti Spangang Festival held in Turtuk Block of Nubra Valley

02-Days Balti Spangang Festival held in Turtuk Block of Nubra Valley

Turtuk: To celebrate and safeguard the rich culture and language of the Balti community, a 02-Days long Balti Literary and Cultural Festival was jointly organized by the Ladakh Academy of Art, Culture & Languages Leh and Kargil, in collaboration with the Balti Stanma Association Turtuk, Youth Association & Panchayat Tayakshi, and Polo Club Bogdang in Bogdang, Turtuk, and Tyakshi of Nubra Valley.

Balti Spangang Festival came alive with the vibrant colors of Balti culture during the two-day Balti Spangang Festival, organized with the theme of “Uniting Baltis & Preserving Balti Cultural Heritage.”

The Balti Spangang Festival illuminated the Nubra Valley with the vibrant colors of Balti culture during the two-day event held from September 26th to 27th. The festival was inaugurated at Bogdang in the presence of Sh. Ghulam Mehdi Ashoor, EC Minority Affairs, Forest, Disaster & Relief, who honored the occasion as the Chief Guest including Prominent figures from the region, including Sarpanch Ghulam Hussain, Mohd Mussa Fighter BJP Mandal President, and Mohd Mussa Nambardar Bogdang, graced the event.

This festival served as a bridge for Balti communities from Kargil, Leh, and Nubra Valley to come together, fostering cultural exchange and preservation. It showcased the diverse tapestry of Balti culture through various literary and cultural activities.

The festival commenced at Bogdang with a Poetic Symposium featuring poets and writers from Leh and Kargil Districts, accompanied by research-oriented papers on Balti culture and literature, stimulating insightful discussions on various facets of this unique heritage.

In Turtuk, the festival’s heart, a two-day literary and cultural extravaganza unfolded. It featured paper reading sessions on diverse themes related to Balti culture, society, and folk traditions, alongside poetic recitals and captivating folk music and dance performances by artists from Nubra, Leh, and Kargil.

Ghulam Mehdi Ashoor commended the efforts of LAACL, Leh, and Kargil in organizing the festival in Nubra valley, expressing hope that the event would play a pivotal role in preserving and promoting the rich traditional Balti culture and folk traditions. He highlighted that the festival would not only boost cultural tourism in the area but also provide an ideal platform for Balti intellectuals to engage in discussions on the language’s challenges and opportunities.

Tsewang Paljor, Deputy Secretary, LAACL, Leh, emphasised the importance of reinstating the region’s rich ancestral legacy of communal harmony, unity, and brotherhood, which forms the core of traditional Ladakhi values.

Nazir Hussain, Deputy Secretary, Ladakh Cultural Academy, Kargil, reiterated the academy’s mission to promote and preserve the Balti culture and language.

The festival aimed to rekindle the cultural bonds between the Balti communities of Leh and Kargil in Nubra Valley, fostering unity and preserving their heritage.

The festival served as a hub of cultural exchange, featuring research presentations on Balti culture, language, and literature, as well as poetic recitations and exhilarating polo matches. Colorful cultural programs added to the festivities, enchanting the attendees.

The Balti tribe of Nubra Valley, including Bogdang, Chulunka, Turtuk, Thang, Tyakshi, and surrounding areas, wholeheartedly embraced the festival’s initiatives. Prominent figures from the region, including Sarpanch Ghulam Hussain, Mohd Mussa Fighter BJP Mandal President, and Mohd Mussa Nambardar Bogdang, graced the event.

Simultaneously, the festival celebrated in Turtuk Village featured traditional folk dance and music, including the soul-stirring Balti Ghazals performed by artists from Leh and Kargil. Additionally, a Balti Lamjoon Heritage walk was initiated for the first time along the Bogdang Old Village Route, and another Heritage walk took place at Farol Turtuk, concluding with a visit to the Balti Heritage House Museum, where all the guests and visitors were briefed on the rich Balti architecture and livelihood.

During the Heritage walk, the Women Alliance Association of Turtuk & Balti Heritage Foundation warmly offered refreshments to dignitaries, artists, and guests at Village Farol of Turtuk & briefed in details about the Old architecture of the Balti Memorial Heritage Museum.

The closing session of the Two Days Balti Spangang Festival took place at Turtuk Village where all the Dignitaries, Guest, Representatives of Balti Yul and All artists visited early Morning at Haji Mohammad Gochogo-pa Ancestor House, Haji Mohammad is 93 years Old Senior citizen of Village Turtuk. Visiting his House truly enlightenment and gaining the true understanding the Tradational old life of Baltiyul about its rich traditions and culture. The team later moved on toward Village Tyakshi and Performed special Heritage walk to Old School builded by Pakistan Administration before 1971. this point considered as Education hub in old times, at that Historical point a graceful Tradational Ancestral Rituals Folk Music played by the Muscian’s of Turtuk and later the whole team move towards Sighdhea Mini Stadium. Once again, the afternoon session commenced with a Poetic Symposium and research-oriented papers on Balti Culture and Literature, providing a fitting end to this cultural extravaganza.

This festival not only united Balti communities but also stood as a testament to the dedication of the organizers and the enduring spirit of preserving Balti culture and heritage. It was a celebration of cultural diversity, fostering harmony and pride in the Balti legacy.