Four-day Himachal Pradesh University festival to showcase classical, folk and creative dance traditions
Munish Sood
ROHRU
The Inter-College Youth Festival-2026 (Group-III), organised by Himachal Pradesh University, opened at Raja Virbhadra Singh Government College, Seema, Rohru, on Saturday, bringing together more than 600 students from 35 affiliated colleges across the state.
Local MLA Mohan Lal Brakta inaugurated the four-day festival, being held from September 26 to 29, by lighting the ceremonial lamp at the college auditorium. He congratulated the participating students and said such platforms were important for providing young people an opportunity to showcase their talent and cultural abilities.
Brakta also urged students to maintain discipline and stay away from substance abuse and other social evils. He recalled the contribution of former Chief Minister late Virbhadra Singh to the development of the college, which was established in 1988.
College Principal Dr P.P. Chauhan welcomed the chief guest and outlined the programme for the four-day event. Rohru SDM Dharmesh Ramotra attended the inaugural ceremony as the special guest.
The festival features competitions in Hindustani classical dance, folk/tribal dance and creative choreography, giving students an opportunity to present both traditional and contemporary forms of expression.
The judging panel includes Kulwinder Kaur from Patiala, Ramesh Chandra from Shimla and senior cultural practitioner Kuldeep Guleria from Mandi. Guleria has participated in the National Youth Festival seven times in folk dance and folk song competitions. He has also conducted research on Luddi, a traditional folk dance of Mandi, and worked towards bringing the art form recognition at the national level.
More than 600 students, along with officers and staff, from 35 colleges affiliated with Himachal Pradesh University are participating in the festival. Dr Ashwini Sharma, Dr Anil Chauhan, Dr Navneet Bhauta and Dr Haipinder, along with college staff and several dignitaries, were also present at the inaugural function.
