The Chattisgarh government is going to patronize the Bastar Dussehra by funding it Rs 50 lakh per year. Similarly, Rs 15 lakh each will be provided for Ram Mahotsava and Chitrakot Mahotsava in the region.
This was announced by Culture Minister Brijmohan Agrawal in the Assembly on Friday on a demand of BJP legislator Kiran Deo.
Agrawal said the government was committed to protect the ancient tradition of religious fairs and said the culture of Bastar was alive only because of its ‘Melas and Madais’ (fairs and weekly markets).
The fund would now be allocated not only from Culture but from the Tourism departments too, he said.
The Minister hiked the government’s assistance for the 75-day Goncha festival in Bastar during the Dussehra.
Earlier, the government was funding Rs 35 lakh but now an additional Rs 15 lakh would be allocated from the religious endowment department too, he announced.
Similarly, the assistance for Ram Mahotsava and Chitrakot Mahotsava would also be hiked to Rs 15 lakh, he added.