Nothing reflects the unique cultural diversity of India better than the character of some of its historic cities. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, whose Lok Sabha constituency – Varanasi – is named after one of the holiest and the most ancient cities of the country, has been laying special emphasis on preserving the history and culture of such places while also introducing them to new ideas and technology.
Addressing the All India Mayors’ Conference recently, Modi asked the mayors to celebrate their cities and highlight their unique characters. Talking about the need for evolution and not revolution, the Prime Minister was emphatic that all possible efforts should be made to preserve the old and adapt to the new. He cited Varanasi as the perfect example of this as he stated that the ancient city had not cast aside its ancient character but had woken up to a new “Kashi” by adopting technology and new ideas.
Talking of the historic significance of cities, Modi advised the mayors to find the date of birth of their respective cities and commemorate them. He also came up with some unique suggestions: for instance, organizing a beauty competition between cities with such parameters as cleanliness, colours of a market and signages among others. The Prime Minister even spoke about holding ‘rangoli’ competitions on the theme of Azadi ka Amrut Mahotsav and involving the elderly in the celebrations by organizing a competition of lullabies sung by them.
One of the highlights of the Prime Minister’s speech on the occasion was his advice to the mayors to use rivers as the focal point of celebration in cities with water bodies. The idea of holding ‘kavi sammelans’ (poetry sessions) and other cultural events on the river banks to celebrate the history of the riverside cities was highly appreciated. The typical cuisine or other items connected with a city’s culture also need to be highlighted like the much-celebrated ‘paan’ of Banaras.
In Odisha, the history of cities like Cuttack, the old capital of the state with its own typical food and culture, can be celebrated in a similar manner. Cuttack’s ‘dahibara-aloodam’ and the small-sized ‘paan’ have been the favourite of a large number of Odias. The residents of Cuttack cannot do without these delicious treats. The ‘saahi’ culture of Cuttack has the flavour of the typical ‘mohallah’ tradition of Banaras.
The other Odisha town with a great history is Puri. Apart from the fact that it happens to be the homeland of Lord Jagannath, the presiding deity of the state, Puri is known for its sweets, its ‘akhadas’ and its ‘boli’ or comments which one hears specially during the Rath Yatra. The town has a language of its own and life here moves in a typically leisurely fashion. All this is part of a unique culture that needs to be celebrated.
As a visionary statesman, Prime Minister Modi is rightfully raising awareness about it.
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