Gandhinagar (Gujarat) [India], March 31 (ANI): Under the joint initiative of the Tourism Department of the Gujarat Government and the Department of Sports, Youth, and Cultural Activities, the Madhavpur Ghed Fair will be organised in Porbandar district, Gujarat, for five days starting from April 6, 2025, coinciding with the sacred festival of Ram Navami, an officials said.

This five-day Madhavpur Ghed Fair, running from April 6 to April 10, will witness participation from Gujarat as well as all eight northeastern states of India. These northeastern states include Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Mizoram, Meghalaya, Sikkim, Tripura, and Nagaland.

On April 6 at 6:00 PM, Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel will inaugurate the event in the presence of Gujarat's Tourism Minister Mulubhai Bera and Minister of State for Sports, Youth, and Cultural Activities Harsh Sanghavi, along with other distinguished guests, the statement added.

During this five-day fair, cultural performances will be presented by Gujarat as well as the northeastern states. This will feature the largest group of artists from the northeastern states performing in Gujarat.

This year, the Tourism Department has planned a grand 'Arena' that is a stadium-style setup at Madhavpur Ghed. Amidst this spectacular setting, a total of 1,600 artists from both Gujarat and the northeastern states will showcase mesmerising cultural performances, the statement said.

This will be the largest joint cultural presentation ever, bringing together artists from two distinct cultural backgrounds on a single platform.

The Madhavpur Ghed Fair embodies the vision of Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat, as envisioned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The aim of this initiative is to promote the spirit of national unity by fostering strong and well-structured connections between all states and union territories of India.

The ultimate goal of the Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat initiative is to strengthen national integration and unity across the country.

In addition to Madhavpur, Grand cultural events will also be organised in Ahmedabad, Surat, Vadodara, and Somnath.

This year, the Madhavpur Ghed Fair will be celebrated across Gujarat. In addition to Porbandar, cultural programs have been organised in Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Surat, and Somnath as part of the celebrations.

The cultural programs of the fair will commence on April 1, 2025. April 1 at the Indoor Stadium in Surat, April 2 at Akota Stadium in Vadodara, April 3 at TransStadia in Ahmedabad, and April 5 at Somnath Temple.

Furthermore, this year, the Madhavpur Ghed Fair will feature various sports activities. Beach sports such as beach volleyball, beach football, a 100-meter beach run, coconut throw, and beach handball will be organised at Madhavpur Beach.

Along with Gujarat, stalls showcasing handicrafts and stalls showcasing various cuisines of the northeastern states have also been set up during the fair.

This year, the Mandap Aarohan ceremony will take place on April 6. Following this, a 'Fuleku Yatra ' will be conducted from Madhav Raiji Temple to Brahma Kund on April 6, 7, and 8.

The wedding rituals will be performed on April 9. On April 10, the wedding procession will depart from the Rukmini Temple with the bride and arrive at Madhav Raiji Temple at 4:00 PM. On this day, a grand welcome will be held for Rukminiji and Lord Krishna in Dwarka. (ANI)