Nagpur: Nagpur travel enthusiasts heading to nearby tourist destination Chikhaldara in Melghat will have an adventurous surprise from Friday as the annual Chikhaldara Tourism festival will kickstart with several cultural and adventure sports activities planned for the four-day event. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis would inaugurate the event at Police Ground at 11 AM, Amravati district Collector Kiran Gitte said today.
The festival, being organized jointly by the district collectorate, Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC) and Chikhaldara Municipal Council, is expected to be attended by over 10,000 tourists and locals, he said.
On this occasion, Fadnavis is likely to announce the Chikhaldara Tourism Development Plan, to be executed by City and Industrial Development Corporation of Maharashtra Ltd (CIDCO), he said.
Amravati district Guardian Minister Pravin Pote would preside over the inauguration function, while the state Home Minister Ranjit Patil would be the guest of honour along with Amravati MP Anand Adsul and the MLAs of the district, he said.
The event would open with rangoli drawing and kite-flying at 8 AM before the formal inauguration, he said.
Trekking, horse riding, camel riding, a light and sound show at the Gavilgarh fort, a cultural programme ‘Rangvedh’ would be some of the highlights of the first day of the event, Gitte said.
He said on February 6, adventure sports activities such as para sailing, valley crossing, rock climbing, trekking and a programme by South Central Zone Cultural Centre (SCZCC) of Nagpur, a performance of the traditional Maharashtrian ‘Lavani’ by famous artist Surekha Punekar etc would be held.
The third day of the event would be marked by the ‘Melghat Marathon’, a cultural programme by Marathi film stars Bharat Ganeshpure and Sagar Karande, besides other adventure activities.
On the last day, a Hindi-Marathi Hasya Kavi Sammelan would be organized, the Collector added.
