CM Bhupendra Patel launches Ekta Prakash Parv 2026 at Statue of Unity
Synopsis
Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel inaugurated Ekta Prakash Parv 2026 at Ekta Nagar on 17 October 2026, lighting up a 7.6-km trail at the Statue of Unity campus through themed illuminations celebrating India's cultural diversity and national unity until 15 January 2027.
Key Takeaways
Ekta Prakash Parv 2026 was inaugurated by CM Bhupendra Patel at Ekta Nagar, Gujarat on 17 October 2026 .
The festival runs through 15 January 2027 at the Statue of Unity campus.
Theme-based lighting and illumination covers approximately 7.6 kilometres of the Ekta Nagar precinct.
The event has indoor and outdoor segments showcasing India's cultural diversity, national unity, and modern development.
CM Patel linked the festival to Sardar Patel's unity legacy and PM Modi's Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat vision.
Other Indian states' distinct identities are represented in the illumination trail, promoting cross-state cultural exchange.
A 7.6-kilometre corridor of light lit up Ekta Nagar, Gujarat on Saturday, 17 October 2026, as Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel inaugurated the Ekta Prakash Parv-2026 — a themed illumination festival at the Statue of Unity campus that will run through 15 January 2027. India's cultural diversity, national unity, and modern development are the three pillars the festival projects, quite literally, in light.
Speaking at the launch, CM Bhupendra Patel framed the event as a living embodiment of two interlocking visions: Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel's founding call for national integration, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat — 'One India, Best India' — pledge. 'The state government is continuously striving to realise Sardar Patel's mantra of unity and strengthen Prime Minister Modi's resolve for one, great India,' he said, adding that the festival would give visitors a chance to discover the distinct identities of India's many states, bound together by a single thread of unity.What the 7.6-km light trail covers
Spread across approximately 7.6 kilometres of the Ekta Nagar precinct, the festival is divided into indoor and outdoor segments. Theme-based lighting and large-scale illumination carry visitors on a visual journey — from India's layered regional cultures through to displays of contemporary technology and infrastructure. The format is designed to make the geography feel like a story, each zone building on the last.
Statue of Unity as the stage
The choice of venue is deliberate and deeply loaded. The Statue of Unity — the world's tallest statue, depicting Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel — was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 31 October 2018, on Patel's birth anniversary. Since then, the surrounding township — renamed Ekta Nagar from Kevadia — has been developed into a full tourism and national-unity hub. Light festivals and cultural showcases have become a recurring feature of the site's programming, pairing monumental architecture with experiential events to draw domestic tourists and reinforce the symbolic weight of the location.
Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat at the grassroots
The Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat programme — launched by the Central Government in 2015 — promotes cultural exchange through structured state pairings, with each state assigned a partner to explore and showcase. The Ekta Prakash Parv extends that spirit into a public-spectacle format: other states' traditions, art, and identities are woven into the illumination trail, making the festival a curated atlas of Indian diversity. The CM underlined that visitors would not merely see Gujarat — they would encounter the country.
Point of View
The state simultaneously drives tourism revenue and reinforces a federalism-of-sentiment narrative. The 7.6-km illumination scale signals that this is no token gesture — it is infrastructure-level investment in soft power. How strongly other states participate will be the real test of whether the festival moves beyond Gujarat's own symbolic orbit.
NationPress
17 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Ekta Prakash Parv 2026?
Ekta Prakash Parv 2026 is a themed light and illumination festival inaugurated on 17 October 2026 at the Statue of Unity campus in Ekta Nagar, Gujarat, showcasing India's cultural diversity, national unity, and modern development through large-scale lighting installations across approximately 7.6 kilometres.
When does Ekta Prakash Parv 2026 end?
The festival runs until 15 January 2027, giving visitors roughly three months to experience the indoor and outdoor illumination trail at Ekta Nagar.
Who inaugurated Ekta Prakash Parv 2026?
Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel inaugurated the festival on 17 October 2026 at Ekta Nagar.
Where is Ekta Nagar located?
Ekta Nagar, formerly known as Kevadia, is a town in Gujarat developed around the Statue of Unity — the world's tallest statue — as a tourism and national-unity destination.
What is the Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat programme?
Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat is a Central Government initiative launched in 2015 to promote cultural exchange and national integration by pairing Indian states so citizens can learn about and celebrate each other's traditions.
