GUWAHATI, Nov 5 - Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal today inaugurated the Brahmaputra Pushkar Mahotsav � a mega river festival on the bank of the Brahmaputra in Guwahati highlighting the river�s important role in Assam�s sociocultural life.
The Pushkar Mahotsav, to be held for 12 days from November 5 to November 16, is a river festival which is organised on the banks of 12 important rivers in India, including the Ganga, Yamuna, Narmada, Kaveri, etc.
The festival occurs once in every 12 years for each river. As per mythological beliefs, Pushkar is celebrated on the banks of each river according to the zodiac sign of that river.
The Mahotsav has been organised at Sonaram High School Field at Bharalumukh here by the Purva Tirupathi Sri Balaji Samiti, Guwahati in collaboration with the Sri Mahalakshmi Charitable Trust, Chennai.
The State tourism department and a number of other departments are assisting the festival, which is supposed to host approximately two lakh devotees, mostly from South India.
Saying that the devotees from South India visiting the State to take part in the Mahotsav were not guests but relatives as everyone belongs to the greater national identity of India, Sonowal said that festivals like Pushkar Mahotsav help in fostering a sense of togetherness among the people of various parts of the country.
�This festival would act as a bridge between the Northeast and South India. We must take this opportunity to showcase our natural beauty to the world,� he said.
