December 27, 2016 TnH Global 0

Colours came alive at the Sarangkheda Chetak Festival 2016

MTDC organized Sarangkheda Chetak Festival for the first time

Hon’ble Chief Minister of Maharashtra and Hon’ble Minister of Tourism, Government of Maharashtra present at Sarangkheda Festival
Maharashtra Tourism to establish Sarangkheda Fair as a global attraction
Positioning Nandurbaug as a tourist hub

Maharashtra’s much awaited event; Sarangkheda festival was organized by Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC) for the first time in order to boost tourism in Nandurbaug. The festival witnessed the arrival of more than 2000 horses at its market place which is also one of the largest horse fairs in the country. The festival also showcased horse dance show and powra, a tribal dance by the locals of Nandurbaug district which grabbed the eye-balls of the tourists.

MTDC also organized a host of initiatives such as the Tourism Conclave, Uttar Maharashtra Ratna Gaurav Puraskar and Horse Painting exhibition which were inaugurated by Hon’ble Chief Minister, Devendra Fadnavis in the presence of Jaykumar Jitendrasinh Rawal, Hon’ble Minister of Tourism, Government of Maharashtra; Valsa Nair Singh IAS, Principal Secretary Tourism and Culture, Government of Maharashtra; Dr. K.H. Govinda Raj IAS, Managing Director, Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation; Satish Soni, Joint Managing Director of Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation and Swati Kale, General manager of Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation . The event witnessed huge participation of local as well as national tourists.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis mentioned that the government is committed to take the Sarangkheda horse fair to a global platform and that the fair should become a brand on the lines of Pushkar’s camel fair. The Chief Minister and the Tourism Minister also spoke about positioning Nandurbaug as a tourist hub through Sarangkheda Festival.

At the Sarangkheda Chetak Festival, the Hon’ble Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis presented the Uttar Maharashtra Ratna Gaurav Awards in Nandurbar in the presence of Hon’ble Minister of Tourism Jaykumar Jitendrasinh Rawal and MP Dr. Heena Gavit. The Hon’ble Chief Minister presented the awards to former President Pratibha Patil, singer Lata Mangeshkar and businessman Subhash Runwal among others.

Among this year’s horsey attractions, the star was Padma, a four-year-old stallion from Indore. The white stallion has also received an offer of Rs. 1.5 crore from one of Rajasthan’s royal families. Padma was facilitated with flowers by Hon’ ble Chief Minister, Devendra Fadnavis.

Jaykumar Jitendrasinh Rawal, Minister of Tourism, Government of Maharashtra while interacting with the media at Sarangkheda festival stated, “To give the state a further impetus in terms of tourism, Department of Tourism, Government of Maharashtra and MTDC organizes various festival like Ajanta Ellora Festival, Nagpur Festival, Koradi Festival, Kalidas Festival and now the Sarangkheda Chetak festival and many more. Practising the ‘Atithi Devo Bhava’ philosophy, MTDC will continue to work towards the provision of better facilities and arrangements for the tourists in the coming year. To highlight the array of destinations and varied facets of Maharashtra, we plan to work towards development of proper infrastructure for tourists and utilise the budgets for the development of these destinations. One such festival, Sarangkheda Chetak Festival, which is a 500-year-old fair but, remained ignored for so many years. But, now, we are committed to take it to a global platform through development of infrastructure, marketing and branding. We also plan to have a horse museum for tourists that will enlighten them about the various qualities of breed, colour and marking, lifespan etc of horses. Through this initiative, Department of Tourism, Government of Maharashtra and MTDC aspire to increase the financial and tourist footfall in Nandurbaug district”.

Valsa Nair Singh IAS, Principal Secretary Tourism and Culture, Government of Maharashtra stated, “Sarangkheda Festival 2016 is an ideal platform to attract tourists from other parts of Maharashtra and we are pleased to be associated with this festival. MTDC also organised painting exhibition and Tourism Conclave to help in boosting tourism in Nandurbaug District. The aim was to highlight the art, culture and various facets of the destination. We also launched website for Nandurbar, a mobile application and released a booklet containing information for tourists visiting the region at the hands of Hon’ble Chief Minister, Devendra Fadnavis.

Dr. K.H. Govinda Raj IAS, Managing Director, Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation Ltd, stated “Sarangkheda Chetak Festival 2016 has witnessed horses coming from various parts of the country. The festival displayed horses from states like Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Afghanistan, and Gujarat etc. Nandurbaug district has immense scope for tourism and we envisage to boost tourist in this destination thorough Sarangkheda Chetak Festival. From horse show to sports and dance performance, the 15 day festival has a lot to offer”.