It was an evening of "Folk dance of Jammu and Kashmir" organised by High Commission of India in association with Indian Council for Cultural Relations on Sunday in the city.

A visiting Indian cultural troupe led by Randhir Kumar that consist twelve performers staged their first performance in Bangladesh.

The name of Jammu and Kashmir may evoke the idea of insurgency, but the artistes could succeed in creating an atmosphere that made the audience to rethink that Kashmir was not named as "Heaven on Earth" in vein. When one of the singers presented a song describing how fog befall on the vast valley of Kashmir, it seemed that music crosses all bars of language and culture.

The first dance item was "Rouf" which the audience enjoyed a lot. It is always performed in the accompaniment of pleasant song and on festive occasion, particularly on evenings of Ramzan and Eid days. Group of dancers created a sensuous charm about it with their simple footwork.

"Hafiz Nagma" was another dance item that earned appreciation from the audience. It is based on classical music of Kashmir-Sufiyana Kalam and has its own Raga known as "Muqam". The lead dancer in this dance form is known as Hafiza who also acts as a narrator.

The dancers also depicted social issues through their performance. Their dance titled "Chatni Timbru Di" portrayed the distress of a bride in her in-laws' house. However, it also shows protest against oppression.

Santoor recital was another fascinating performance of the evening. Santoor, a hundred-string instrument was primarily used to accompany the Sufiyana singers. But now contemporary musicians are using it as one of the important instruments of Indian classical music.