DALLAS (TIP): As in the past, competitions in Bhangra- the folk dance of Punjab– and Garba- the folk dance of Gujarat- were held at Southern Methodist University of Dallas. It was a kind of a record breaking event in which a large number of organizations participated and a very large number of audiences turned up.

The event was jointly managed by Indian Punjabi Students’ Association and Punjabi Cultural Association of Dallas. 7 Bhangra teams and 6 Garba teams vied for honors. It is worth mentioning that spectators were thrilled to watch the Bhangra performances in which the local youth participated who presented the folk dance of Punjab in different styles.

The performances were so good that the three judges had a great difficulty in deciding their order of merit. However, the three judges unanimously decided that University of Texas, San Antonio Bhangra team was the best performer. The second position went to the Massachusetts team.

In a joint statement, the PCANT group members Gurinder Daula, Manjit Johal, chairman Kuldip Dhillon and president Jasmel Sandhu, said that the quality of performances was excellent and that the young participants must be encouraged in every way. The ceremonies were conducted by Parminder Singh Deo, Javin Malli, Osama Siddiqui and Nimesh Patel. The organizers had a special word of appreciation and gratitude for Radio Wasda Rahe Punjab and Fun Asia.