Badrinath (Uttarakhand) [India], September 20 (ANI): The two-day ‘Devbhoomi Cultural Festival-2026’, organised under Operation Sadbhavana by the Indian Army in collaboration with the Chamoli district administration, concluded at the Tourist Arrival Plaza in Badrinath on Sunday.
The festival, held on the theme ‘Our Heritage, Our Future’, was attended by Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami as the chief guest. He felicitated the winners and runners-up of various cultural competitions and presented them with awards.
Earlier, the Chief Minister visited Bamni village and participated in the celebrations organised on the auspicious occasion of Nanda Ashtami. He extended greetings to the villagers and stressed the need to preserve and promote Uttarakhand’s rich folk traditions and cultural heritage.
Dhami also visited stalls showcasing local products, women’s self-help groups, handicrafts, traditional cuisine and other exhibits at the festival venue. He interacted with members of women’s self-help groups and enquired about their local products and traditional hill cuisine. He appreciated efforts to provide wider markets for local products and said linking them with tourism would create new livelihood and self-employment opportunities in border areas.
The Chief Minister also visited the military exhibition set up by the Indian Army and was briefed about modern weapons and military equipment. He said such exhibitions help familiarise young people with the functioning of the Indian Army while strengthening the spirit of patriotism and service to the nation.
Addressing the gathering, Dhami welcomed Army personnel, officers, residents, youth, students, artists and devotees to the cultural festival held in the sacred land of Lord Badrinath.
He said the soul of Devbhoomi Uttarakhand resides in its folk culture, with folk dances, songs, traditions and customs forming an important part of the state’s identity. Such events, he said, help connect the younger generation with their language, culture and roots, while also inspiring youth from border areas to serve in the Indian Army.
The Chief Minister said the state government was working on the principle of ‘Development as well as Heritage’, focusing on both cultural preservation and development. Under the leadership and guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, work under the Badrinath Dham Master Plan is progressing rapidly. Despite challenging geographical and weather conditions, development projects are being taken forward in a time-bound manner to improve facilities for pilgrims.
He said infrastructure and livelihood-related facilities in border areas were being strengthened under the Vibrant Villages Programme, with areas such as Mana, Niti and Jadung being connected with tourism and livelihood opportunities to promote local
employment and self-employment. Preventing migration from border areas and creating employment opportunities locally, he said, remains a priority of the state government.
Dhami said initiatives such as the Millet Mission, Apple Mission, homestays, agriculture, horticulture, animal husbandry, dairy production, beekeeping, cultivation of aromatic plants and local spices, winter tourism, adventure tourism and ‘Wedding in Uttarakhand’ were being promoted to generate livelihood opportunities.
He said more than 3.10 lakh women in Uttarakhand have become Lakhpati Didis, while women associated with self-help groups are setting new examples of self-reliance through local products, traditional cuisine and handicrafts.
The Chief Minister said such events play an important role in strengthening cooperation, coordination and people-to-people ties between the Indian Army and local communities. He also appreciated the traditional cultural performance presented by villagers from Mana.
Dhami said Uttarakhand was rapidly expanding opportunities for investment and employment in sectors including tourism, AYUSH, wellness, IT and solar energy. He said Uttarakhand had been placed in the ‘Leaders’ category in the Startup India ranking and had secured the first position in the country in the NITI Aayog SDG Index.
He emphasised that development must move forward while keeping the state’s culture and roots at its core. Preserving folk languages, songs, dances, traditional attire, fairs and festivals, he said, is a collective responsibility.
The Chief Minister congratulated the Indian Army, Chamoli district administration and all organisers for the successful conduct of the Devbhoomi Cultural Festival-2026 and prayed to Lord Badrinath for the happiness, prosperity and well-being of all.
GOC-in-C Central Command Lieutenant General Anindya Sengupta and GOC Northern Area Lieutenant General D.G. Mishra were also present on the occasion. (ANI)
Devbhoomi Cultural Festival 2026 concludes in Badrinath, Uttarakhand CM Dhami stresses preservation of folk heritage
