An ancient city that has witnessed centuries of empires, faiths, and footsteps is now asking India's youth to pick up their phones and tell its story. Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel on Sunday, 2 August 2026, announced a four-week reel competition centred on Vadnagar — one of the subcontinent's oldest continuously inhabited towns — inviting creators, citizens, and youth to showcase the city's heritage to the world during the ongoing Shravanotsav celebrations.

Writing in Gujarati, CM Patel described Vadnagar as 'anant anaadi nagari' — 'the city of infinity and eternity' — and called it a 'living symbol of our glorious heritage,' pointing to its Kirti Toran gateway, the sacred Hatkeshwar Mahadev temple, and its Buddhist archaeological remains. The competition is being organised by the Gujarat government in collaboration with MyGov, the Government of India's official citizen engagement platform, with entries submitted via mygov.in.

Four Weeks, Four Themes — Beginning with 'Anant Anaadi Vadnagar'

The contest runs across all four weeks of the Shravan month, with a distinct theme for each week. The first week's theme is 'Anant Anaadi Vadnagar' — an invitation to capture the town's timeless, layered identity. Participants who create and submit reels on the designated themes stand to win prizes, though specific prize details were not disclosed in the announcement.

CM Patel expressed hope that 'the maximum number of youth, creators, and citizens join this unique initiative with enthusiasm,' framing the competition as both a cultural celebration and a creative act of tribute to the town's legacy.

Kirti Toran, Hatkeshwar Mahadev, and Vadnagar's Layered Past

Vadnagar, located in Mehsana district of northern Gujarat, carries an extraordinary density of history within a single town. Its Kirti Toran — a 12th-century double-arched gateway — is a protected state heritage structure and one of the finest examples of medieval Gujarati stone craftsmanship. The Hatkeshwar Mahadev temple draws pilgrims year-round and is especially central to Shravanotsav, the annual religious observance that turns the town into a site of intense Shaivite devotion each monsoon season. Buddhist-era archaeological remnants add yet another civilisational layer, making Vadnagar a rare convergence of Hindu, Buddhist, and medieval heritage on a single map.

Short-Form Video as a Heritage Tool

The initiative follows a pattern that state governments across India have increasingly adopted — pairing religious festival calendars with digital outreach to generate user-created content that markets heritage sites. The Gujarat government has used the MyGov platform for state-level digital contests promoting heritage and tourism since at least 2018, and this competition extends that playbook into the short-form video era, where a well-made reel can reach audiences that a tourism brochure never could.

With Shravanotsav already drawing devotees to Vadnagar, the timing turns organic footfall into potential content — every visitor a possible storyteller. The kicker: if the next three weekly themes match the ambition of the first, Vadnagar may end the monsoon season with a digital archive of itself that no government campaign could have commissioned alone.