Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsav to be held across North-east India starting from Thursday

The festival will be inaugurated at Parade Ground, Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh on March 23 and subsequently across the other states of the region.

At the open air stage in the Parade Ground in Aizwal, cultural programmes will be held for the duration of the festival, from March 23-25.

The nine-day cultural extravaganza will be inaugurated by Governor of Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh, Padmanabha Balakrishna Acharya in the presence of Minister of State (I/C) for Culture and Tourism, Dr. Mahesh Sharma and Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh, PemaKhandu as Guest of Honour.

The essential thrust of Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsav is to present the rich diversity and uniqueness of Indian culture and to promote the cultural inter-linkages among the states to strengthen national integration and also to bid the artists of other parts of the country with the people of North East in a single thread of culture, the Ministry said in its release.

About 5,000 artists from North East India and 2,000 artists from across the country will showcase India’s cultural heritage through performances, arts and cuisines.

The festival will be implemented through the seven Zonal Cultural Centres and other organization under Ministry of Culture.

The North East Zone Cultural Centre (NEZCC), Dimapur has been entrusted with the responsibility as the nodal agency to carry forward the execution of the National Cultural Festival. Each Zonal Cultural Centre has been provided with slots to present their arts during the festival which would showcase an amalgamation of ‘Ek Bharat, Srestha Bharat’, ‘Hamaari Sanskriti, Hamaari Panchaan’ and ‘Swachh India’.

The festival will showcase the spectacular diversity of India, from Kashmir to Kanyakumari and Gujarat to Bengal through folk, tribal and classical art forms in all its dimensions – dance, music, drama, puppetry, handicrafts and food.

Exhibition on Buddhist art and tradition is also being organized at Parade Ground of Tawang on the occasion of Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsav to showcase the splendour and magnificence of the cultural sphere.

Craftsmen from all over the country will display and sell handicrafts to the general public.

Chefs of traditional delicacies from different regions of the country will treat the visitors to an unparalleled culinary experience.

The festival will be held in Dimapur (Nagaland) from March 26-28, in Majuli (Assam) from March 27-29, in Imphal (Manipur) from March 27-29, in Aizawl (Mizoram) from Mar 28-30, in Gangtok (Sikkim) from March 28-30, in Shillong (Meghalaya) from March 29-31 and Khowai (Tripura) from March 29-31.

Image: MinofCultureGOI Twitter