The President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee attended the closing ceremony of "Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsav”, a ten-day cultural festival organized by the Ministry of Culture in New Delhi today (October 24, 2016).

Speaking on the occasion, the President said that India has a rich and unique heritage of art and culture comprising classical music, traditional and tribal music and dances, modern fusion music, and instrumental music. Music, fine arts, ragas and rasas have been an integral part of our cultural life. These elements have all played an important role in our spiritual rejuvenation. By showcasing the composite Indian traditional art and culture including different folk dances, this festival has achieved a very important objective from the nationalistic point of view: integration through diverse cultural tradition.

The President said that art and culture not only bind a nation together but also promote cultural harmony and national unity. The festival has provided a forum for representing each and every dimension of our cultural tradition and showcasing it to the nation. It translates the ideal of ‘unity in diversity’ into action. He complimented everyone associated with this Mahotsav for its very successful organization.

Among the dignitaries present on the occasion were Dr. Mahesh Sharma, Minister of State for Culture and Tourism (I/C) and Shri N.K. Sinha, Secretary, Ministry of Culture and Tourism.

This release issued 1915 hrs.