ITANAGAR, NOVEMBER 24: The Union Ministry of Culture has chosen Tawang, bordering China in Arunachal Pradesh, as the venue for the Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsav, the biggest national cultural festival in the country.
This was today informed to Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu by North East Zonal Cultural Centre (NEZCC) Director Lipokmar Tzudir, who called on him here, said an official release.
Tzudir, along with the officials of the state Art and Culture department, during the brief meeting with Khandu, sought the opinion of the chief minister on finalisation of dates of the festival.
It was decided that the festival, sponsored by the Union Ministry of Culture, would be celebrated at Tawang during March 2-6, 2017.
The objective of the annual festival is to popularise and showcase the cultural diversity of India through arts, artisans, various dance forms, handicrafts, flavours etc. from across the country.
The NEZCC Director informed that more than 600 artistes from all over the country were expected to take part in the five-day festival.
“The event will have at least 80-90 craft stalls, pavilions representing each of the seven zone cultural centre’s of India (east, west, north, south, north central, south central and north east), besides performances by artistes and day-long activities,” he said.
The chief minister, who volunteered to head the local coordination committee, assured him of “every possible logistical support” from the state government and the district administration to the event which will be organised by the NEZCC on behalf of the Union Ministry of Culture.
“As the event would coincide with the Lossar festival, it would be an added bonus for the locals,” Khandu said.
He expressed gratitude to Union Minister of Culture Mahesh Sharma for giving Arunachal Pradesh the opportunity to host such a mega event.
He also thanked Union Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju, who has been instrumental from the conceptual level till the selection of Arunachal Pradesh as the venue for the festival.
Tzudir also had a detailed discussion with Khandu as regards the establishment of a regional cultural centre of the NEZCC at Itanagar.
He told him the state Art and Culture department owned a plot of land (measuring approximately 18 acres) near Jote here and had offered it for the purpose.
Tzudir requested the chief minister to call a meeting of the state-level development committee for the project soon and pave way for engaging an experienced architect to prepare a detailed project report (DPR), which would then be submitted to the Union Ministry of Culture for approval and sanction.
Khandu assured him of putting the project on the fast track and lease out the said plot of land, which incidentally is adjacent to the upcoming Film and Television Institute of the NEZCC, to step up the further procedure.
Once completed, the centre would have state-of-the-art facilities such as craft stalls, an open arena, an auditorium, a dormitory, a guest house, a library and a canteen, the release added.
