New Delhi: Marking the celebrations of the 150th birth anniversary of the Father of the Nation- Mahatma Gandhi, the fourth edition of ‘Bharat Parv’ 2019 showcasing the spirit of ‘Ek Bharat Shresth Bharat’ is being observed at the backdrop of the iconic Red Fort in the national capital that is witnessing huge turnout of visitors from nook and corner of the country.
The festival showcases a tremendous display of India’s rich cultural heritage. Along with the other states, the eight north-eastern states also showcased their strength, along with its tourism products.
It is not only a cultural amalgamation of all the states under one roof but a step towards maintaining unity, peace and integrity among all the states.
The event is aimed at highlighting India’s rich cultural heritage from Kashmir to Kanyakumari and different states of the northeast region.
The major highlights of this year are a replica of the Statue of Unity created by sculptor Shri Ram Vanji Suttar and a Gandhi Gram, in which 10 painting artists will create paintings on the theme of ‘Ideology of Mahatma Gandhi.
Speaking ANI, Renu Gupta, a visitor said “This is the first time that I have visited here and it is too good. Such an event is very useful for our Indian culture which the young people are gradually forgetting”
The Bharat Parv also brought together the diverse handloom and the handicrafts being showcased by different states of the country.
Handloom and handicraft products ranging from bamboo made items, tribal handloom products such as naga coats, shawls from Nagaland, hand weaved mekhela chador from Assam and other items from the state of Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim are on display in the craft mela being arranged by the state governments and Ministry of Textiles.
A total of 50 stalls of different states including Jammu & Kashmir, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Punjab to name a few are put up.
The Parv is also hosting Themed State Pavilions where each State showcases its strength along with its tourism products.
“I feel good about participating here and I want to thank the Government of India for organising this. We have NGO’s and SHG where around 40-50 women work under it and prepare all the items. Here the sale is good and also it gives me immense pleasure to be able to interact with the artisans and exhibitors of different states and also witness their culture”, an exhibitor from Arunachal Pradesh told to ANI.
“Such a platform is very good for us as we get an opportunity to showcase our handloom products and also good for our business. We are selling some of the best products such as pashmina shawls, scarves. It feels good to be here as all 28 states have participated and we get to know each other well. So Bharat parv is a good platform for people like us as it helps to bridge the gap”, added Tanveer Ahmad Malik an exhibitor from Jammu & Kashmir.
Various organic products including Kehwa from Kashmir, dry fruits, organic items including various local products including pickles, tea leaves etc from the state of Nagaland are.
Other highlights of this year’s event are a display of the Republic Day parade tableaux, performances by the armed forces bands (static as well as dynamic), and a photo exhibition by the Directorate of Advertising and Visual Publicity (DAVP).
The event also includes IRCTC’s promotions on special tourist trains and ‘Jago Grahak Jago’ Consumer Awareness campaign. It also aims to facilitate an exhibition-cum-sale of crafts items.
Sonia a visitor from Spain said “My experience being in India is very nice. There is lots of variety. In different states at least my friend’s talks very nicely about the other states which are very nice to see particularly in lots of other countries where we could see conflicts between different cultures inside the same country. We could see quite a big difference also. This time I have been to Orissa and last time we went to the south, there was a huge difference in the culture but both are super nice”.
One of the major highlights among the many tableaus of the northeast region is the Assam tableau depicting the handloom of the state inspired by Mahatma Gandhi.
‘Bharat Parv’ is organised every year by the Tourism Ministry in collaboration with other central ministries and state governments as a part of the Republic Day celebrations.
Organising such festival will not only bring the beautiful Indian culture to the global forefront but will act as a catalyst to maintain unity and integrity among all the states of the country.
[source_without_link]ANI[/source_without_link]