Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat has asked the culture department to prepare an abridged version of the recently released state song so that it could be sung at important public functions.
The order was issued by the Chief Minister while chairing a meeting of the state culture department here late last night, an official release here said.
Rawat said Uttarakhand's state song released last week sums up the state's unique cultural, historical and geographic identity but it should be abridged so that it could be sung at formal and ceremonial functions.
However, he warned that the basic spirit of the anthem, which glorifies Uttarakhandi dialects and the state's essential characteristics, should not be lost in the process of shortening it for practical purposes.
Written by Hemant Bisht, the state anthem has been composed by popular folk singer from the hill state Narendra Singh Negi.
The original song lasts nine minutes whereas the Chief Minister wants its duration to be curtailed to 2-3 minutes, the released said.
