Basohli, about a two-hour drive from Jammu in Kathua district, hosted its Utsav from October 19 to 21, 2026, and the programme leaned unusually young: a race, a script lesson and a parliament.
Who ran it
Daily Excelsior reports the festival was organised by the Department of Culture, IGNCA Jammu, the Vishwasthali NGO and the district administration, with goals that included promoting tourism, preserving traditional art forms, encouraging youth participation and highlighting water conservation.
On the road and on the track
A bike rally of about 30 riders started from the Tawi riverfront in Jammu on day one. A 21-km half marathon from Atal Setu to Rani Talab drew nearly 500 runners. Vishal Singh of Himachal Pradesh won the men's race, followed by Pramod Singh of Dehradun and Rohit of Udhampur; Nikita Sharma of Una won the women's, followed by Rubina of Una and Ramani Patel of Madhya Pradesh. Prize money totalled Rs 2 lakh. Traditional sports, including Santholia matches and a tug-of-war between panchayat teams, were also held.
For young people
- Seekho Takri: an IGNCA initiative to teach the Takri script to young people.
- Cartoon workshop: seven cartoonists ran a workshop.
- Youth Parliament: held at Basohli Fort on "Employment Opportunities in Villages".
- Street plays: nukkad nataks under the Jal Jeevan Mission on water conservation.
Art, business and the closing aarti
The "Shakti Parampara" exhibition ran at Rani Talab, alongside a national seminar on Geet Govind and Basohli painting. An investor meet drew more than 70 investors to talk tourism, hospitality, water sports, eco-tourism, handicrafts, including GI-tagged Basohli Pashmina and Pahari miniatures, and entrepreneurship. The festival closed with a Ravi (Eravati) Aarti at Atal Setu promoting clean rivers.
Source: Daily Excelsior, October 24, 2026.
