Pravasi Bharatiya Divas to be held in Varanasi: official

This year’s event would be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Mauritian counterpart Pravind Jugnauth.

A scene of Varanasi. File

The next Pravasi Bharatiya Divas will be held in the holy city of Varanasi in January with the Indian diaspora having an option to participate in Kumbha Snan and attend the Republic Day parade in New Delhi, an official in the Indian Embassy in Washington has said.

Addressing a gathering of eminent Indian-American community leaders from in and around Washington DC, Maryland and Virginia, Embassy’s Minister of Community Affairs Anurag Kumar said the details of the event were being worked out to facilitate greater participation of the diaspora community from across the world.

This year’s event would be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Mauritian counterpart Pravind Jugnauth, he said.

“The next Pravasi Bharatiya Divas will be held in Varanasi from January 21 to 23. [This time] there is also a provision being made for the participants to participate in the Kumbh Snan [in Allahabad] and then travel to New Delhi to be part of the Republic Day Parade on January 26,” Mr. Kumar said on April 29.

Mr. Kumar was speaking at a reception organised for him by the National Community of Asian Indian Associations in collaboration with other community organisations, including the Associations of Indian Muslims, the Aligarh Alumni Association, the Indian Cultural Coordination Committee, Sewa and Tamil Sangam of Greater Washington.

'Spread the word'

Noting that the U.S. has traditionally been attracting active participation in the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas, Mr. Kumar urged the Indian-American community leaders to spread the word so that a large delegation from America attends the event.

Organised by the Ministry of External Affairs in association with the Uttar Pradesh government, the theme of the 15th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas is “Role of Indian Diaspora in building a New India”.