Udaipur: The eight states of India’s Northeast hold immense importance for the nation. Despite their linguistic and cultural diversity, they have beautifully conveyed the message of unity through the principle “Many languages, one nation.” This was stated by Union Minister Nitin Gadkari during the closing ceremony of the ‘North East Octave’ Festival.

The four-day festival, jointly organized under the aegis of the West Zone Cultural Centre (Udaipur) and the South Central Zone Cultural Centre (Nagpur), concluded on Sunday with great grandeur and enthusiasm.

The concluding ceremony was graced by Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, Durgesh Chandwani (Assistant Director, West Zone Cultural Centre), Dr. Aastha Karlekar (Director, South Central Zone Cultural Centre), and Deepak Kulkarni (Assistant Director).

Addressing the artists and audience, Gadkari praised the handloom, handicrafts, and bamboo products of the Northeastern states, which have gained popularity across the country. He shared that during his ministerial tenure, road development projects worth nearly ₹3 lakh crore have been executed in Assam and other Northeastern states. He also mentioned the construction of an elevated highway between Kaziranga and Numaligarh. Earlier, there were only two bridges over the Brahmaputra River, but now the number has increased to nine.

On this occasion, Tarun Pradhan, the choreographer of the entire festival, and Mukesh Saikia, a renowned bamboo craft artist, were felicitated by the Union Minister for their contributions.

The cultural program began with Pung Dhol Cholom, a traditional dance of Manipur, usually performed during the Holi festival, featuring impressive displays of martial arts and Thang-Ta combat techniques. This was followed by the presentation of Sattriya Dance from Assam, which artistically depicted Lord Krishna’s divine plays through music, poetry, and graceful movements.

In the final segment, the North-East Rock Band group performed a medley of patriotic songs, beginning with A.R. Rahman’s iconic composition “Vande Mataram.”

The event was compered by Dr. Vivek Aloni and Mohita Dixit.

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