A large number of NRIs and foreign nationals from around 40 countries are expected to attend the biannual Vadodara International Art and Culture Festival (VADFEST) starting here from January 23, Gujarat Tourism Minister Saurabh Patel said today.
"The Gujarat government has set up a special purpose vehicle (SPV) known as Vadodara International Art and Culture Festival Authority to promote Vadodara as the state's cultural capital and encourage tourism in the city," Patel told PTI.
Vadodara has the potential to become the cultural capital of India, he said adding that VADFEST will give a boost to tourism, hotel and real estate sectors and also open doors for investment in industries, education and IT in the city.
After promoting Gandhinagar and Ahmedabad as business destinations through Vibrant Gujarat Summit since 2003, the state government has decided to promote Vadodara as its cultural capital, he said.
The four-day event will focus on art, folk music, dance, drama, culture and food and there will a special festival for children as well.
Veteran Greek musician Yanni, noted musician and composer A R Rahman, legendary playback singer Asha Bhosle and other well-known singers like Sonu Nigam, Sunidhi Chauhan and Kailash Kher will perform at the event.
A 'Shiv Shakti' dance performance by contemporary dancer Isha Shravani and a flute recital by classical flautist Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia will be the other highlights of the festival.
