- NET Web Desk
A meeting between the Deputy Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh – Chowna Mein and senior National Monumental Authority (NMA) officials led by chairman Tarun Vijay decided to strengthen the northeastern state’s age-old cultural ties with Gujarat through Rukmini and Bhagwan Krishna tales.
According to the NMA Chairperson – Tarun Vijay, citizens from Gujarat visit Bhishmak Nagar and vice-versa to enhance cultural tourism between far-eastern and far-western corners of the nation.
It aims to promote concept of national unity and generate awareness on the initiative – ‘Ek Bharat Shrestha Bharat’ envisioned by PM Modi.
NMA is aiming for monument preservation and organizing a Rukmini Krishna Yatra between Arunachal Pradesh and Gujarat on a large scale and to promote it at the national level.
The NMA team visited famed Bhishmak Nagar ruins of Rukmini palace and interacted with village elders, who narrated beautiful saga of Rukmini’s marriage to Lord Krishna, which is still sung by the Idu Mishmi tribal community.
In the meantime, the teams also met an Idu Mishmi girl who has been named Rukmini by her parents. She sang the local Rukmini Bhishmak song for them which was duly recorded. In Porbandar, Krishna’s marriage with Arunachal’s Rukmini is also celebrated.
The NMA Chairman was accompanied by a renowned architect and cultural conceptualizer from Gujarat – Hemraj Kamdar; and Prof Kailash Rao from Andhra Pradesh to help visualize the Mission National Unity through Rukmini-Krishna legend.
However, Vijay also remarked that during the “Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav” year, it is critical to strengthen threads of national unity through Civilization links.
The verbal history passed down from one generation to other in Arunachal Pradesh is rapidly disappearing, as village elders and Igus (traditional healers and priests) are dwindling in numbers.
NMA has visited a number of indigenous archaeological sites and is preparing a detailed report to help conserve this sensitive border state’s tangible and intangible cultural heritage.
