5-day Baba Farid Mela begins in Faridkot
Balwant Garg
Tribune News Service
Faridkot, September 19
The five-day annual Baba Farid Mela -- in memory of Sufi saint Sheikh Farid -- started today with a Virasat march.
In it, children of various schools and elders -- wearing traditional Punjabi robes and dresses of other states – took part. The march started from Quila Mubarak and culminated at Darbar Ganj.
Renowned as an important figure in Punjabi poetry, 134 hymns of Sheikh Farid (1175-1265) were incorporated in the Guru Granth Sahib.
He is generally recognised as the first major poet of Punjabi language and is considered one of the pivotal saints of the Punjab region.
People from all walks of life from across the country come to Faridkot every year for this five-day mela to pay their respects to the Sufi saint, said MS Jaggi, deputy commissioner, Faridkot, who flagged off the Virasat march today. Punjabi singer Pammi Bai performed on the occasion.
The DC inaugurated a heritage exhibition at Darbar Ganj. A book exhibition, dedicated to Punjabi writer Gurdial Singh, also began on the occasion.
The DC said a state-level painting workshop and a three-day National Punjabi Drama Festival and a 'Haas Ras' poetical symposium would be held at Darbar Ganj complex. The mela would conclude on September 23 with a nagar kirtan.
