Port Blair, Sept. 12: The Department of Art and Culture and the Department of Tourism, A&N Administration in collaboration with the Eastern Zonal Cultural Centre, GoI, Kolkata is organizing mega Cultural Festival “Maati Ke Rang” – (Octave and Silver Jubilee Celebration of Zonal Cultural Centers) in Andaman from 23rd -27th September 2012.

This year the Ministry of Culture, Government of India is celebrating Silver Jubilee Celebrations of Zonal Cultural Centres under the name “Maati ke Rang’. Eastern Zonal Cultural Centre is one of the seven Zonal Cultural Centres set up by the Government of India to promote, propagate and disseminate the rich folk and tribal heritage of India.

Added to the ‘Maati Ke Rang’ celebrations will be Octave Festival, a celebration of the culture of the eight north eastern states of India. North East India is unique not only in their performing art forms but also in the many crafts that they create. During the festival at Port Blair, there will also be an exhibition of the crafts from the north east region. Artistes from   eight north east States i.e. Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya,   Mizoram, Nagaland,   Sikkim and Tripura will take part in the Octave festival along with artistes of Silver Jubilee Celebrations from Punjab, Rajasthan,Jharkhand, Odisha, Haryana, Uttarakhand and West Bengal. Folk Dance troupes from Andaman and Nicobar Islands will also participate in the festival.

The mega Cultural festival along with ‘Food Festival’ at ITF Ground during 23-27th September 2012 will be an added attraction for the islanders besides Island Tourism Festival and will take the islanders on a journey through kaleidoscopic India.