Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsav, a two-day cultural extravaganza featuring all the States, is set to enthral residents of coastal Karnataka on January 19 and 20 in Mangaluru.
An initiative of the Union Ministry of Culture, the programme is co-hosted by respective State governments, including that of Karnataka, said Dakshina Kannada MP Nalin Kumar Kateel.
The MP told reporters here on Wednesday that the festival would be inaugurated in the presence of district in-charge Minister B. Ramanath Rai, Mayor Kavita Sanil, MLA J.R. Lobo and himself at the Nehru Maidan at 6 p.m. on Friday.
The Ministry conceptualised the idea of organising the festival under the Ek Bharat Shresht Bharat matrix across the country, including Karnataka. Mangaluru is hosting the last of the events in Karnataka, Mr. Kateel said.
The festival would feature art forms — classical, folk and tribal — by 26 teams in abundance, including two each teams from Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Uttarakhand. Punjab’s Bangra, Kashmir’s Rouf Dance, Madhya Pradesh’s Gangaur, Tamil Nadu’s Aadimelam, Goa’s Ghode Modni are some of the dance attractions during the event, Mr. Kateel said.
There would also be an exhibition of traditional crafts from different States during the festival.