Maharashtra Tourism to make Sarangkheda fair a global attraction
Maharashtra government to re-brand Sarangkheda festival for tourists
Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC) organised the Sarangkheda festival in order to boost tourism in Nandurbar. Held as one of the largest horse fairs in India, the festival witnesses the arrival of more than 2,000 horses.
Sarangkheda Chetak (Horse) Festival is one of the biggest and most liked events for horse lovers of India. The festival showcases horse dance show and powra, a tribal dance by the locals of Nandurbar district which caught the attention of the tourists. There are plans to position Nandurbar as a tourist hub through the festival.
Devendra Fadnavis, the Chief Minister of Maharashtra stated, “This 500-year-old fair remained ignored for so many years. But, now, we are committed to taking it to a global platform. The fair should become a brand on the lines of Pushkar’s camel fair.”
Jaykumar Jitendrasinh Rawal, Minister of Tourism, Government of Maharashtra said, “To give the state a further impetus in terms of tourism, Department of Tourism, Government of Maharashtra and MTDC organises various festival like Ajanta-Ellora Festival, Nagpur Festival, Koradi Festival, Kalidas Festival and now the Sarangkheda Chetak Festival, among others.”
There are plans to have a horse museum for tourists that will enlighten them about the various qualities of breed, colour and marking, lifespan of horses. Department of Tourism, Government of Maharashtra and MTDC aspires to increase the financial and tourist footfall in Nandurbar district through this festival. Fadnavis also launched a mobile application for Nandurbar district, and a website of Nandurbar’s tourism circuit.
Valsa Nair Singh, Principal Secretary Tourism and Culture, Government of Maharashtra added, “Sarangkheda Festival 2016 is an ideal platform to attract tourists from other parts of Maharashtra and we are pleased to be associated with this festival. MTDC also organised painting exhibition and Tourism Conclave to help boosting tourism in Nandurbar District. The aim was to highlight the art, culture and various facets of the destination. We also launched a website for Nandurbar, a mobile application and released a booklet containing information for tourists visiting the region at the hands of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.”
Dr KH Govinda Raj, Managing Director, MTDC, stated, “Sarangkheda Chetak Festival 2016 has witnessed horses coming from various parts of the country. The festival displayed horses from states like Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, and Gujarat etc. Nandurbar district has immense scope for tourism and we envisage to boost tourist in this destination through Sarangkheda Chetak Festival. From horse show to sports and dance performance, the 15-day festival has a lot to offer.”
MTDC also organised a host of initiatives such as the Tourism Conclave, Uttar Maharashtra Ratna Gaurav Puraskar and Horse Painting exhibition which were inaugurated by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis along with Tourism Minister Jaykumar Jitendrasinh Rawal; Valsa Nair Singh; Dr K H Govinda Raj; Satish Soni, Joint Managing Director, MTDC and Swati Kale, General Manager, MTDC. The event witnessed huge participation of local as well as national tourists.
