Adding a new cultural feast to Mandi Shivratri festival the Shivratri organizing committee added a new feature to the festival by organizing several cultural programmes commencing a week early on Tuesday.

Though the famous weeklong Shivratri festival will begin on February 16, the committee has planned pre -festival cultural programmes from February 10 to 14 and February 17 at main at Sankan Garden, the main hub of Mandi town.

An  evening of classical music, dance, and instrumental music began today at Sankan Garden on Tuesday , which was  inaugurated by the Chairman of the Shivratri Organizing Committee , DC Mandi  Apoorva Devgan by lighting a lamp.

Sukla Sharma, known as the nightingale of India, Sarod player and musician Deepak Gautam, Himachal’s first male Kathak dancer Dinesh Gupta among other artists performed on Tuesday. 

 Artists from Sangeet Sadan, Nritya Tapas, and Dance Academy also showcased their talents on the stage, making the evening memorable. The melodies of classical music amidst colorful lights filled the atmosphere with a festive mood . 

DC Mandi Apoorv Devgan said, “The five-hundred-year-old city of Mandi is fully prepared for the International Shivratri Festival 2026 and several new  features have been added to the festival’s cultural activities, making them even more vibrant.”

 He said, “ The organizing committee has made an effort to engage the public by organizing activities ranging from classical music to dance, bhajans, and literary festival in Sankan Garden, the heart of Mandi and by organizing  Bhajan Sandhya on February 11^th,  plays on February 12th and 13th starting at 11:00 am, Kavi Sammelan on February 17 at Sanskriti Sadan  .”

As part of the program, a Bhajan Sandhya will be organized on February 11th from 6 pm.

“This time, during the International Shivratri Festival ,  people will also be able to see the literary world of Mandi, the Mandi Literature Festival is being held on February 14,  in the open theater of Sankan Garden. Renowned literary figures will gather directly beneath the clock tower, a witness to Mandi’s history for centuries in which a known writer of Shimla Raja Bhasin will be the main speaker , besides other writers” , he added.

A cultural heritage walk will also be organized during the festival this year.

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