The Telangana government will promote cultural exchange programmes to increase inter-State understanding, a senior official said in Bidar on Tuesday. “We will organise several cultural programmes in neighbouring States to spread awareness about the folklore of the State. We will also invite artists from States like Karnataka to perform in our cities and towns. Such exchanges will help us understand one another,” Mamadi Harikrishna, director, language and culture, said. He was speaking at the inauguration of the ‘Folklore and National Integration Festival’ organised by the Ministry of Culture and other organisations here. He said that the new State was proud of its history and cultural heritage, the influence of which was still visible in regions like Hyderabad-Karnataka and Marathwada, parts of the former Hyderabad Nizam’s province. “We should keep connecting and telling our story together. That is why we are planning this exchange programme,” he said.
He agreed to consider a proposal by Jagannath Hebbale, Karnataka Folklore University’s regional head, to jointly organise a national cultural festival in Bidar and Hyderabad.
Dr. Hebbale said the three-day festival will have folk and cultural artistes presenting songs and dances of their States. Gurupadappa Nagamarpalli, MLA, presented the Dr. H.L. Nage Gowda Award to folk singer Prayaga Bai and seven others.
