Almora. Under the banner of Almora Literature Festival, organized by Green Hills Trust, a women’s traditional Kumaoni folk song group competition was successfully held at Shikhar Hotel.
Festival Chairperson Vasudha Pant welcomed the guests and outlined the program. On this special occasion, senior litterateur and theatre artist Tribhuvan Giri attended as the chief guest. He encouraged the participants and praised the efforts of the festival in preserving and promoting cultural heritage.
A total of 13 women’s teams from the town participated in the competition, presenting rich Kumaoni traditions through songs such as Shakun Aakhar, Mangal Geet (Dhooli Argh), Jhora, Chhapeli, Chanchari and other traditional pieces performed on different cultural occasions.
The jury panel consisted of Naveen Bisht, Lata Pandey, and Rajendra Nayal. Among the distinguished guests present were Anil Sanwal, Meeta Upadhyay, Rita Durgapal, Shobha Joshi, along with many other prominent personalities who encouraged the participants.
During the event, renowned veteran folk artist Krishna Mohan Singh Bisht, popularly known as ‘Nan Da’, was felicitated with special honors. The performances were accompanied by Narayan Singh Thapa on the Hudka and Jagmohan Agri on the harmonium.
The event was successfully supported by Shikhar Hotel and Mohan’s Café. The results of this competition will be announced from the stage of Almora Literature Festival 2025, to be held at Malla Mahal from October 10–12.
The program was smoothly conducted by Meenakshi Pathak. Many literature and art enthusiasts, including Mohan Joshi, Prakash Bisht, Raghav Pant, Dinesh Vaidya, and Girish Malhotra, were present on the occasion.
