MARGAO
Even as pomp and gaiety marked the celebrations of the famous Dindi festival at Margao on Sunday, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has assured Madgavkars that government will bestow the status of State festival on Dindi next year.
The Chief Minister came down to Margao to partake in the festivities late Sunday evening.
He visited the Hari Mandir temple at Pajifond along with Margao MLA Digambar Kamat, former deputy chief minister Chandrakant Kavlekar, and Margao Municipal Chairperson Damu Shirokdar to seek the blessing of Lord Vithal Rakhumaye.
After coming out of the temple, Sawant told the media that the Dindi festival will get the status of a State festival by next year.
“The department of Art and Culture and Tourism decides to give a festival the status of a Sate festival. Margao MLA Digambar Kamat too is in favour of this,” the Chief Minister said.
He added: “There’s no problem in granting state festival status to the Dindi festival. After the festival is declared as the State festival, the government will provide infrastructure and financial support to the management to organise the events.”
Earlier, the Margao MLA told the media that he would pursue with the government to bestow the Dindi festival the status of a state festival. “Because of the Covid pandemic, the festival could not grandly take place. I am aware of the need to give Dindi festival the official status. I will pursue the matter with the government,” he added.
Margao wore a festive look as thousands of people from all walks of life descended on the city to participate in the Dindi festivities. The Hari Mandir temple at Pajifond was decked up for the solemn occasion even as the Palki of Lord Vithal Rakhumaye was taken out in a procession on Sunday evening. The procession will wend its way in the city making halts at the Sal Temple and the Vithal Mandir, before returning to the Hari Mandir on Monday noon.
