January 31 (ANI): To promote public outreach, honor cultural legacy, and provide local youth a platform, the District Administration of Anantnag hosted the much-awaited Jashn-e-Chillai-Kalan cultural festival on Thursday in Wazirbagh, Anantnag.

The gathering, which attracted a sizable number of locals and cultural aficionados, offered insight into the rising interest in locally oriented cultural events.

National Children’s Award winner and performer Ayan Sajjad expressed his enthusiasm for the occasion in an interview with ANI.

“I am a singer from Anantnag and recently received the National Children’s Award from the President, followed by a commendation from Prime Minister Modi,” he said.

“To perform here at Wazirbagh is a huge honor. With several booths providing entertaining and useful information, the festival is bringing a large number of people together. These kinds of activities inspire young people in the area to grow as individuals and follow their hobbies,” he said.

Additionally, Ayan conveyed his appreciation for the assistance provided by local officials, especially the District Commissioner, in enabling these activities. “It’s a great opportunity for the youth here, and we hope to see more such events in the future,” he said.

The importance of the occasion for Anantnag’s creative community was emphasized by another local musician. “I’m excited to witness the support for local artists since this is my first time performing here in Anantnag. He said that the district should keep giving local talent a chance to be acknowledged and valued.

Several well-known local performers performed at the event, including Noor Mohammad, Ishfaq Kawa, young Sufi singer and Rashtriya Bal Puraskar awardee Ayaan Sajad, and well-known comedian Anil Koul.

The crowd was enthralled by the musical acts, which included the Band Pather, and the occasion was made more joyous.

Apart from the cultural events, many departments erect information kiosks to highlight their projects.

For the public, departments including Agriculture, Employment, Horticulture, Tourism, Health, Handloom and Handicrafts, Fisheries, Animal Husbandry, and ITI offered insightful information about their plans and initiatives.

The kids were able to investigate prospects for growth and development and establish connections with many industries thanks to this interface.

To give the occasion an educational touch, a unique short video that highlighted the district’s accomplishments and developmental emphasis was also shown to the participants.

The ceremony ended with the Department of Information and Public Relations congratulating the district-level winners of recent online contests, including the essay, patriotic song singing, and favorite freedom fighter drawing categories.