The Sindhu Darshan Festival, held on the banks of the river Indus, is celebrated in:

The Sindhu Darshan Festival is held every year in June, on the full moon day of Guru Purnima, on the banks of the river Indus (Sindhu) at Shey, about 15 km from Leh, in Ladakh. It is a festival that celebrates the Indus river as a symbol of the unity, cultural heritage and communal harmony of India.

The Sindhu Darshan Festival was started in 1997 to honour the Indus, the river from which India gets its name. The words "India" and "Hindu" are both derived from "Sindhu", the ancient name of the river. The Indus valley was also the home of the Harappan civilisation, one of the earliest urban civilisations in the world. Though most of the course of the Indus now lies in Pakistan, the river flows through Ladakh in India, so the festival was started there to celebrate the river.

The festival usually lasts for three days. During the festival, people from different parts of India bring water from other rivers of the country in earthen pots and pour it into the Indus as a symbol of national unity. Prayers are offered by lamas and priests of different religions on the banks of the river. The festival also includes cultural programmes, with performances of the folk dances and music of Ladakh and other parts of India, and the honouring of soldiers. Many pilgrims and tourists visit Ladakh during the festival.

The Indus rises near Lake Mansarovar in Tibet, flows through Ladakh, and enters Pakistan, where it flows into the Arabian Sea near Karachi. Its main tributaries include the Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Beas and Sutlej. The waters of the Indus system are shared between India and Pakistan under the Indus Waters Treaty of 1960.

Why not the other options?

• ✗Himachal Pradesh is known for festivals such as the Kullu Dussehra.
• ✗Sikkim is known for festivals such as Losoong and Saga Dawa.
• ✗Uttarakhand is known for festivals such as Phool Dei and Harela.