Grand procession through the town, temple courtyard echoed with cultural performances, thousands of spectators rejoiced
Almora. With chants of “Maa Nanda-Sunanda ki Jai”, the town of Almora witnessed a spectacular blend of devotion, enthusiasm, and culture on Sunday. As part of the ongoing Nanda Devi Festival, a grand procession of school children’s tableaux and cultural performances turned the entire town festive and vibrant.
The procession, which started from Raja Anand Singh Girls’ Inter College, passed through the main market, drawing cheers, applause, and warm welcomes from townspeople. Later, as the participants reached the Nanda Devi Temple courtyard, the audience was enthralled by colorful cultural presentations staged by students from various schools. Every performance was greeted with thunderous applause, filling the atmosphere with devotion and joy.
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Joint Inauguration of the Program
The event was inaugurated jointly by Municipal Mayor Ajay Verma, Chairman of Kumaon Mandal Ex-Paramilitary Forces Welfare Society Manohar Singh Negi, municipal councilors, and members of the fair committee.
Speaking on the occasion, Mayor Verma remarked, “The Nanda Devi Festival is a symbol of our folk culture, faith, and unity. The active participation of townspeople and students makes this celebration even more magnificent.”
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Impressive Performances by Schools
Almost all major educational institutions of Almora participated in the procession and cultural programs. Among them were:
Sai Convent Junior High School
Maa Ambe Institute
Spring Dales School
GGIC Almora
Almora Inter College
Maharshi Vidya Mandir
Raja Anand Singh Girls’ Inter College
Ramsay Inter College
Women’s Polytechnic
Vivekananda Girls’ Inter College
Green Field School
Grace Public School
Pinebud School
Bodhi Tree School
Arya Kanya Inter College
Adams Inter College
Minerva Res School
GEC Almora
Holy Angel Public School
Saraswati Shishu Mandir
Vivekananda Inter College, Ranidhara
The students mesmerized the audience with traditional folk dances, cultural skits, devotional tableaux, and group performances. A major highlight of the day was the children’s performance of Kumaoni folk arts such as Chholiya dance, Jhora, Chanchari, presented in authentic regional attire.
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Judging Panel and Contest Attraction
A panel of judges comprising Mohan Joshi, Neeraj Singh Bisht, and Harsh Tamta evaluated the performances. They noted that all presentations were outstanding and commendable, though some schools stood out for their creativity, discipline, and coordination.
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Active Role of the Fair Committee
The successful execution of the festival owed much to the hard work and coordination of the fair committee members and convenors.
President: Manoj Verma
Secretary: Manoj Sanwal
Chief Cultural Coordinator: Tara Joshi
Co-Coordinator (Fair): Ravi Goyal
Manager: Anoop Sah
Chief Convenor: Arjun Bisht Cheema
Treasurer: Harish Bisht
Convenors: Amit Sah (Monu), Amarnath Negi, Amarnath Singh Negi
Media In-charge: Kapil Malhotra, Hitesh Verma
Co-convenors: Councilor Abhishek Joshi, Manoj Bhandari (Mantu), Dhan Singh Mehta, Jeevan Nath Verma, Rajendra Bisht
Other Managers: Harish Bhandari, Jagat Tiwari, Ashish Bisht, Daya Krishna Pargai, Naman Bisht, Pankaj Pargai, Aditya Bisht, Govind Mehra
The district administration and police also played a crucial role in ensuring security and traffic management throughout the event.
