MINISTRY OF CULTURE, GOVERNMENT OF INDIA INAUGURATES RASHTRIYA SANSKRITI MAHOTSAV

The Ministry of Culture, Government of India, today inaugurated the most diverse cultural festival of India –RASHTRIYA SANSKRITI MAHOTSAV at the IGNCA, New Delhi.

Dr. Mahesh Sharma, Honourable Minister of State (IC) for Tourism and Culture and Minister of State for Civil Aviation, Government of India hosted the ceremony with Shri M Venkaiah Naidu, Honourable Minister for Urban Development, Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation and Parliamentary Affairs as its chief guest.

In the chair was Shri Padmanabha Balakrishna Acharya, Honourable Governor of Assam and Nagaland, who graced the occasion, said, “I greet you with NAMASTE, each letter representing a state of the North East. Our traditions are old and rich, and we want to take it to the youth across our country – from Goa to Arunachal. This cultural showcase of India is aimed at driving unity amidst diversity”.

Shri M Venkaiah Naidu, Honourable Minister for Urban Development, Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation, and Parliamentary Affairs, said: “India is a cultural super power; our Gayatri Mantra is being chanted in regions across the oceans such as Surinam and Amsterdam. The thought was to create an Annual Festival that celebrates Ek Rashtra, Shrestha Rashtra.”

Talking about the RASHTRIYA SANSKRITI MAHOTSAV, Dr. Mahesh Sharma, Honourable Minister of State (IC) for Tourism and Culture and Minister of State for Civil Aviation, Government of India, said: “The 7 Zonal Cultural Centres have put together a festival that is dazzling in scale. This RASHTRIYA SANSKRITI MAHOTSAV has been created to popularise and showcase the soft power of our culture- be it art, artisans, dance, handicrafts or unique flavours from across the nation. We are certain that the audiences will be mesmerized by the presentations of our vibrant culture in all its diversity. ”

The gala ceremony witnessed a power packed 90 minutes performance by over 700 artists from 7 zonal cultural centers including Patiala, Udaipur, Thanjavur, Kolkata, Dimapur, Allahabad and Nagpur showcasing the spectacular diversity of India through folk, tribal and classical art forms in all its dimensions – dance, music, drama, entertainment.

The event witnessed a high energy & intensity filled live performance by renowned Punjabi folk singer, Shri Gurdas Maan, who thrilled the crowd.

The Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsav features an 8 day extravaganza, which takes the festive season a notch higher with its food and shopping, bringing out the very best of indigenous handicrafts and flavours. Indulge in dishes prepared by Traditional Master Chefs featuring menus from coastal delights to rich and delectable delicacies, representing the Indian culture.

The venue boasts of shop-till-you-drop beautifully decorated angans with a wide array of arts and crafts like Haveli paintings from Punjab, Rogan artworks from Gujarat, Banaras silk, Kalamkari (hand-painted or block-printed cotton textile), Tanjore paintings and many more.

The 8 day festival will feature 150 art forms, performances by more than 1500 artists; 32 forms of paintings: visual arts; 400 master craftsmen; cuisine by traditional master craftsmen & chefs. 

A free entry for all, 10 am to 10 pm festival will feature maidani kalakar everyday with evening stage performances with folk & celebrity artists from 6p.m. To 10 p.m. at the IGNCA, 11, Mansingh Road.

This festival has been envisioned to represent myriad dimensions of our cultural traditions and to generate pride in being an Indian.