In an attempt to promote state culture in the United States, Maharashtra will hold a cultural festival at the Times Square, in New York City. It is the first state in the country to host such an event. The event is called ‘Maharashtra Tourism — Diwali at Times Square’. The event will be held on September 22.
Minister of tourism Chhagan Bhujbal said, “More than 20 per cent of foreign tourists come to the country to visit Maharashtra. The event has been organised to attract foreign tourists, by way of promoting it before Diwali, at Times Square. This would also provide an opportunity for regional artistes to showcase their talent.”
According to Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC), there will be a cultural festival, featuring Indian food, dance performances, diya and rangoli painting, arts and crafts, a fashion show, photo booths with ethnic outfits, a celebrity booth, dahi handi, malkhamb and many more events. The event will also have a performance — ‘Light Up Times Square’, a concert showcasing performances by various stars. A film on Maharashtra tourism by the MTDC will also be relayed to visitors via big screens around the square. Additional attractions include sari-draping lessons, and mehendi artists.
More than 100,000 Asians are slated to participate in the event, from around the tri-state, and other neighbouring states. The event will be highly publicised via digital, as well as TV, radio, and print media, across the USA. The concert will additionally display an orchestrated laser light show, and fireworks, on big screens.
The Square will wear a bright and colourful look with visitors wearing traditional Kolhapuri turbans, and pointed moustaches, which will be distributed to the audience in order to recreate a traditional rural scene from Maharashtra.