At the foot of the world's tallest statue — a monument to the man who stitched India together — the country's regional colours are arriving one evening at a time. Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel on Wednesday, 4 November 2026, extended a public invitation to families across India to attend Bharat Parv 2026 at Ekta Nagar, calling it a living celebration of folk dances, crafts and flavours from every corner of the country.

Sardar Patel's shadow as the festival's backdrop

The choice of venue is deliberate and loaded with symbolism. Ekta Nagar — formerly Kevadia in Gujarat — was redeveloped as a tourism and cultural hub centred on the Statue of Unity, the towering tribute to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, India's first Deputy Prime Minister and the architect of national integration. Hosting a festival that rotates state representations each evening at this site threads Sardar Patel's unification legacy directly into contemporary cultural celebration.

CM Patel's post captures that intent plainly: 'India's many colours have come together at the feet of Sardar Saheb!' — India's diversity, literally assembled at the base of its integration monument.

Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat — the policy engine behind the pageant

The festival draws its ideological spine from Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat, the national integration programme launched in 2015 under Prime Minister Narendra Modi through the Ministry of Education. The programme pairs states for cultural and educational exchanges and anchors annual festivals that bring regional troupes to national monuments. Bharat Parv 2026 follows that template — a rotating nightly showcase where each state brings its own rhythm and story.

The CM explicitly named PM Modi's vision as the inspiration, reinforcing the Gujarat government's role as a frontline promoter of central government cultural initiatives from the state that hosts the initiative's most iconic site.

An open door from Gujarat

The invitation is direct and domestic-tourism-forward: 'Gujarat warmly welcomes everyone to Ekta Nagar. Bring your family and experience the unity of India.' The messaging targets ordinary families, not dignitaries — positioning the festival as an accessible, experiential draw rather than a state function.

Successive editions of Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat events at Ekta Nagar have expanded the site's profile beyond a heritage destination into an active cultural calendar — and Bharat Parv 2026 continues that arc.

Every state gets its evening. Every evening builds the same argument: that India's diversity and India's unity are not in tension — they are the same thing.