Vadodara, which was Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s second lok Sabha constituency this year, which he later quit, is getting its due as the Gujarat Government is planning big to promote it as major tourist destination.
The Anandiben Patel Government has chalked out mega plan for the ‘Cultural Capital of Gujarat’ and set up a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) – Vadodara International Art and Culture Festival Authority (VIACFA). The authority is chaired by Gujarat’s Finance and Tourism Minister Saurabh Patel.
“Vadodara has the potential of becoming cultural capital of India. To promote tourism, a biennial event – Vadodara International Art and Culture Festival (VIACF) has also been planned from January 23 to 26 next year,” said Patel adding that the idea is to promote VIACF in lines with Vibrant Gujarat Global Investor Summit (VGGIS).
The State Government wants to replicate grand success of biennial event VGGIS, which is being organised to promote the State, especially Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar as global business hub, said the minister continuing that the same way the state government wants to a promote Vadodara as major art and culture destination through yet another biennial event VIACF.
In the four day long VIACF-2015, the state government has planned live concerts of AR Rehman, Asha Bhosle and Sonu Nigam. Besides dance performances of Hindi film heroine and BJP MP Hema Malini and other noted dancers like Gita Chandran and Isha Sharvani have also planned. In order to give international touch to the event foreign artists have also been invited. As many as 34 programmes have been planned at 10 different venues in Vadodara.