Mega tourism promotion kicked off

Aiming to showcase Gujarat and its cultural heritage as the best in India, the state government on Thursday evening, kicked off its ambitious Vibrant Gujarat Navratri 2004, with an impressive opening ceremony.

The inauguration ceremony saw the display of cultural dances and a spectacular display of fireworks, that lit up the sky above the Kankaria lake.

Residents of Ahmedabad and visitors from different parts of country attended the inaugural ceremony. However, industrialists were conspicuous by their absence.

In his welcome speech, chief minister Narendra Modi said that Vibrant Gujarat Navratri 2004 will be used as a platform by his government to promote tourism, specifically, event based tourism.

"Not only will promotion of tourism place Gujarat on the world tourism map, it will also generate employment opportunities. That is what the state government aims for with this vent," he said.

Modi added that even as Gujarat is quickly emerging as one of the preferred destination in India for medical facilities, a concerted effort is being made to promote medical tourism in the state.

"The whole world is focusing on India as a medical destination and it is just about time that we emerge as the state with the best medical facilities in the country. The real potential and image should be portrayed to the world and medical and event based tourism will provide the platform," he said.

Vice-President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, who inaugurated the function, said that the concept of Vibrant Gujarat needs to be publicised on a greater scale.

"We have such a huge cultural heritage in India, but India as a country has perhaps not been able to present its cultural treasure before the world. India would have been a different place if serious attempt had been made in the past to portray this to the world," the Vice President said.

Other dignitaries who remained present at the inaugural ceremony included former deputy Prime Minister L K Advani.

Immediately after the inauguration ceremony, the huge crowd, gathered at the Kankaria Football Ground and the adjacent Kankaria lake, were treated to cultural dances, performed by troupes that have arrived in Ahmedabad from all parts of the country.

Over 700 artists from different parts of the country, along with garba artists from different parts of the state performed on six specially erected stages around the lake.

Other highlights of the evening included a spectacular fireworks and a 'Maha Arti', where over 1 lakh earthen lamps were lit all around the lake.