PORBANDAR, Mar 27: Attending the Madhavpur Mela at Ghed in Porbandar district of Gujarat on Tuesday evening, Chief Minister Pema Khandu profusely thanked the people of Gujarat for bringing Arunachal Pradesh into the limelight by connecting with it even if the link is based on folklores and myths.
Pema, who is in Gujarat with Governor Dr BD Mishra, attended the Madhavpur Mela, which is celebrated every year, commencing on Ram Navami, to commemorate the wedding ceremony of Lord Krishna with Princess Rukmini.
According to folklore, Madhavpur Ghed is the place where Lord Krishna married Rukmini, the daughter of King Bhishmaka, who is said to have ruled Bhismaknagar, which is sited near Roing in Arunachal Pradesh.
“There may not be any historical or written records, but our folklores have been passed down through generations. These folklores bind us in an unaccounted but strong thread. In the present context of diversity, we need to not only respect but celebrate this bond for the sake of unity in diversity,” remarked Pema.
He praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his intent to connect the Northeast with the rest of the country through whatever way possible.
“This way we in the far-off frontiers will have a sense of belongingness and relate to the rest of the states,” he said.
Pema described the festival as one of its kind for acknowledging Arunachal Pradesh for the first time. He said that even when folklores say that Rukmini hailed from Arunachal Pradesh, never in the history of Madhavpur Mela was Arunachal Pradesh made a part of it.
The mela witnessed its first ever cultural integration with the Northeast. The union ministry of culture is organizing the Madhavpur Mela from 25 to 28 March in a grand way.
The purpose, according to the ministry, is to bring various parts of the country, especially the Northeast, close to each other under the banner of ‘Ek Bharat, shrestha Bharat’ announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
This year the ministry of culture is collaborating with the government of Gujarat to scale up the festival by incorporating various vital elements.
Also present were Gujarat Governor Om Prakash Kohli, Manipur CM N Biren Singh, Gujarat CM Vijay Rupani, MoS for Home Kiren Rijiju, MoS for Culture (IC) Dr Mahesh Sharma, and others.
Earlier in the day, Pema visited the birthplace of Mahatma Gandhi, where he went around the Kirti Mandir. (CMO)
