User:Pritam Bhartwan

An outstanding artist who has selflessly brought Himalayn Folk Culture & traditions to the global stage. Dr.Pritam Bhartwan (Padma Shri) is a folk artist also known as JAAGAR SAMRAT, who hails from remote village Silla in Dehradun district. His journey is one of folklore and began the traditional Lok GEET AUJI. He has come aggressively in defense of the rich culture with his persistent efforts not only known within Uttarakhand but also at the national and globally. He was conferred the "Padma Shri" honour by the President of India, Ram Nath Kovind in 2019 for his contribution to the field of traditional Folk Art. Since 2011, he has been awarded a doctorate and has been a regular guest lecturer at the University of Illinois. Jagar is a sacred vocal tradition performed to please the Goddess in the form of performing art of humans and ancestors. He is running “Pritam Bhartwan Jagar Dhol Sagar International Academy a subsidiary of HEM LOK KALA KENDRA for teaching Jagar, Dhol Sagar and other folk tradition Legendary Instruments. Pritam Bhartwan started his journey 44 years ago in a family known for upholding and carrying forward the legacy of traditional values and culture of Uttarakhand. At the age of 6, he learned to play Dhol-Damaun the traditional divine instruments singing “Jagar” the traditional folk to invoke divine and gave his first stage performance at the age of 13. He specializes in Jaagar and traditional Himalayan folk and she is a great supporter and promoter of traditional folk across India. Pritam Bhartwan has been declared a state icon by the Election Department of Uttarakhand and is Grade A folk singer by All India Radio and Door Darshan. He specializes in jagar and pawada and promotes traditional jagar across the world. He has a huge fan following (Approx 10 Millions) on social media such as YouTube, Facebook, twitter, Instagram and Linkedin. He has since performed on over 900 stages across the world including Australia, Germany, United States of America (USA), Canada, Newsland, London, England, Dubai, Oman, Belgium, Netherland, Malaysia, Switzerland, Kuwait, Qatar,UAE etc. Pritam Bhartwan has contributed a major role by bringing social awareness in his folk songs. Pritam Bhartwan has contributed a major role by bringing worldwide social awareness in his folk songs. He has created a series of songs to bring attention to the female infanticide (Kanya Bhoorn Hatya) cause. He has also founded a cultural academy “Hem Lok Kala Kendra” in 2006 where around 800 students have been enrolled so far. Through his indomitable and virtuous style of singing Pritam has challenged every economic and social barrier to its core and moved beyond boundaries to note only popularize folk music but also understand the values of its exhibits. Pritam Bhartwan is a mid-age performer who understands the importance of digital age and therefore, he is extensively leveraging its strengths in increasing awareness among the youth across the globe. This decade, he believes, is the decade of youth and our country’s demographic landscape indicates that the youth of our state and country have untapped potential which can be channelized into something remarkable. Pritam has committed to use the energy of the youth to take our cultural heritage to new heights and is working diligently with talented youth of our hinterland. The objective is to give them a platform to display their skill and take them on the path to commercial success and career growth.