Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar. (File photo)
As part of Independent Day celebrations, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar will inaugurate 'Bharat Parv' festival at India Gate tomorrow.
The inauguration ceremony of the festival, which will conclude on August 18, will also be attended by Union Ministers M Venkaiah Naidu and Mahesh Sharma.
"Bharat Parv is being organized by Government of India as part of Independence Day celebrations-2016. The prime objective of organizing the event is to generate a patriotic mood, promote the rich cultural diversity of the country and to ensure wider participation of the general public," Tourism Ministry Secretary Vinod Zutshi told a press conference.
He said the Ministry of Tourism has been designated as the nodal ministry for the event, highlights of which would include performances by the Armed Forces Bands (static and moving), a multi-cuisine food court, crafts mela, cultural performances from different regions of the country.
Ministry of Information and Broadcasting is also setting up 'Azadi 70 Saal- Yaad Karo Kurbani' - a photo exhibition on the occasion of 70th Independence Day celebrations.
The 'Food Court' at the event will have 50 stalls set up by various states/UTs, National Association of Street Vendors of India (NASVI) showcasing street food from different regions as well as by the Institutes of Hotel Management and ITDC.
Another crafts mela with 50 stalls will showcase the diverse handicrafts of the country, arranged by the state governments and Ministry of Textiles.
There will be 17 theme state pavilions where each state would showcase their achievements and initiatives, tourism products and destinations, Zutshi said.
He said that the participating states and Union Territories in the event include - Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Chhattisgarh, Daman and Diu, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Goa, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Jharkhand, Karnataka, and Kerala.
He said other states participating at the event are Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Odisha, Punjab, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Tripura, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh.
The event is open to the public and entry is free. However, identity proof is to be carried for entry.