AMRITSAR: The 5-day Inter Zonal Youth Festival of the Guru Nanak Dev University was inaugurated here Sunday.

The competitions started with Punjabi Folk Dance Bhangra in the Dasmesh Auditorium. More than 1500 student artists from 54 Affiliated Colleges of the University are participating in about 44 different items of dance, music, theatre, literary and fine arts. This festival would conclude on December 4.

Deputy Commissioner, Amritsar    Kahan Singh Pannu, inaugurated the festival by lighting the candles.

While adressing the student-artists, Pannu said that Students should participate in extra curricular activities along with their studies. He said that these activities are essential for the overall development and growth.

Deputy Commissioner said that National Youth Festival will be organised in Amritsar city in which youth artists from various states of the country are participating. He said that the winner teams of the Guru Nanak Dev University Youth Festival will present their cultural
items depicting rich cultural heritage of the Punjab every day in the evening during this National Youth Festival.

The items of Bhangra, Skit, Histrionics and Mimicry enthralled the audience and received a warm applause. The competitions for Poetical Symposium, Elocution was also held on other stage. On the second day i.e. December 1, Fancy Dress, One Act Play, Mime,
Classical Instrumental (Percussion), Classical Vocal, Debate, Painting (landscape), Painting (Still Life), Sketching, Cartooning, Collage, Poster Making, Clay Modeling and Installation competition will be arranged.

Similarly, on third day i.e. December 2, the competitions of Gidha, Vaar Gaayan, Group Shabad/Bhajan, Quiz Preliminary, Classical Instrumental ( Non-Percussion), Semi Classical (Vocal), Rangoli, Phulkari, Flower Arrangement (Fresh & Dry) will arranged.

On forth day i.e. December 3, Group Song (Indian), Folk Orchestra, Shabad Bhajan, Geet/ Gazal, Folk Song and Western Music (Solo) competition would be held.

On the last day i.e. December 4, the competition of Classical Dance, Creative Dance and Western Music (Group) will be held. This will be followed by prize distribution at 4 pm.