Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday, 30 October 2026, inaugurated Bharat Parv 2026 at Ekta Nagar in Gujarat's Narmada district, launching a wide-ranging cultural festival that will run until 15 November. The event showcases India's folk traditions, regional cuisines, handicrafts, and tourism offerings from states and Union Territories across the country.

What Bharat Parv Celebrates

Organised as part of the Rashtriya Ekta Diwas celebrations, Bharat Parv is anchored in the theme of national unity and the spirit of 'Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat'. The festival provides states and Union Territories a dedicated platform to present their cultural identities, regional art forms, and tourism potential to a national audience.

The event is also expected to boost footfall and tourism revenue in Ekta Nagar and the surrounding areas of Narmada district, which have seen steady development since the Statue of Unity opened in 2018.

Ekta Prakash Parv and the Illumination Experience

Later on Friday evening, Prime Minister Modi is scheduled to witness the Ekta Prakash Parv, an illumination festival celebrating India's unity, diversity, cultural heritage, and progress. The centrepiece is a 530-metre illuminated stretch along Valley of Flowers Road, themed 'From Ancient India to Modern India'.

A 180-metre Glow Tunnel highlights the cultures, architecture, folk dances, handicrafts, and lifestyles of the country's four regions. Altogether, more than 1.5 crore LED lights have been deployed, with artworks contributed by artists from across India.

Narmada Aarti at Upgraded Shoolpaneshwar Ghat

The Prime Minister is also scheduled to attend the Narmada Aarti at approximately 8:15 pm IST at the upgraded Shoolpaneshwar Narmada Ghat. The ghat has been redeveloped by the Statue of Unity Area Development and Tourism Governance Authority at a cost of ₹15.10 crore.

The upgrade raises visitor capacity from 4,000 to 6,000, with seating for around 2,000 people. Works include an expanded stepped ghat, a 190-metre all-weather approach road, an amphitheatre-style seating area, red sandstone cladding, murals, sculptures, and riverbank protection structures.

31 Projects Worth ₹426.71 Crore on 31 October

On Saturday, 31 October — the 151st birth anniversary of India's first Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel — Modi will pay floral tributes at the Statue of Unity before inaugurating and laying the foundation stones for 31 tourism and infrastructure projects with a combined outlay of ₹426.71 crore.

Of these, 23 projects worth ₹307.83 crore will be inaugurated, while foundation stones for eight projects worth ₹118.88 crore will be laid. New attractions include an IRCTC hotel built at ₹50 crore, an Ekta Cruise costing ₹16 crore, a Rain Forest project worth ₹14.30 crore, and an Eco Trail costing ₹3.67 crore. Infrastructure additions include a sewage treatment plant, a water treatment plant, travelators, a parade track, and improvements to roads and visitor facilities.

Projects for which foundation stones will be laid include the Gora-Bhanadra Road, a smart zero-waste integrated solid waste management project, Khalwani Eco-Tourism development, an integrated Cactus and Butterfly Garden, and a disaster control room for the Sardar Sarovar Dam.

Rashtriya Ekta Diwas Parade and 'Naxal Mukt Bharat' Performance

The Rashtriya Ekta Diwas main celebrations are scheduled for around 5:30 pm IST on 31 October. An Ekta Parade will feature Central Armed Police Forces, state police forces, and central police organisations, with a thematic focus on security forces' efforts against Left-Wing Extremism.

The National School of Drama will stage a theatrical presentation on 'Naxal Mukt Bharat' involving around 2,000 artists from 126 districts previously affected by Left-Wing Extremism — a visible assertion of the government's counterinsurgency narrative. A broader cultural presentation on the theme 'Vande Mataram' will bring together around 5,000 artists from across the country.

Together, the two-day programme represents one of the most expansive Rashtriya Ekta Diwas editions to date, blending infrastructure investment with cultural diplomacy at one of India's most-visited monuments.