7th edition of Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsav begins in Karnataka

The seventh edition of the Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsav, under the Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat programme, began in Bengaluru, Karnataka on 14 January 2018.

The event was inaugurated by Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Ananth Kumar and Karnataka Kannada and Culture Minister Umashree in the presence of Minister of State for Culture Mahesh Sharma.

Speaking on the occasion, Union Minister Ananth Kumar defined culture as a cohesive force that unites the people of the nation. He also pointed out that the rich cultural heritage of India is its USP for attracting foreign tourists.

Key Highlights

• Organised by the Ministry of Culture, the event aims to celebrate national integration and the idea of unity in diversity.

• It is a celebration of rich culture and heritage of India. It aims to provide a platform that will bring together artists from each corner of the country.

• It will cover a profusion of art forms from classical and folk, music and dance, theatre to literature and the visual arts.

• It will showcase a gallery of Indian art forms and tradition for the discerning audience.

The Mahotsav will be spread across the following venues in Karnataka:

• Bengaluru : 14 - 16 January
• Hubli - Dharwad : 17 - 18 January   
• Mangaluru : 19 - 20 January

The Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsav truly represents an umbrella of different hues representing divergent traditions.

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Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat programme

The programme was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 31 October 2016 to promote engagement among the people of different states and Union Territories in order to enhance mutual understanding and bonding between people of diverse cultures, thereby securing stronger unity and integrity of India.

The State paired with Karnataka is Uttarakhand.