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Japan to be showcased in Shillong cherry blossom festival

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New Delhi, Oct 16 (IANS) Japanese culture and cuisine will be showcased in this year’s Indian International Cherry Blossom Festival to be held in Shillong from November 14 to 17, Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma said on Tuesday.

Inviting tourists to the festival at a press conference here, Sangma said that this was another way to deepen and strengthen the connections with the Japanese government.

Japan is playing a key role in terms of development aid in India’s North East.

The Shillong event will be held just after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Japan on October 28-29 for the annual bilateral summit with his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe.

Japan is one of only two countries that India holds annual bilateral summits, the other being Russia.

In his address to the media here, Sangma said there will be an exposition of Japanese cultural events and cuisine at the India International Cherry Blossom Festival 2018 as the Embassy of Japan in India has come in as a strategic partner.

Unlike the cherry fruit, the cherry blossom tree, when it flowers — just for a short period in a year — the pink and white glory it exudes is a sight to behold.

It was in Japan that the tradition of planting cherry blossoms (called sakura in Japanese) started. The Sakura Festival started way back in the third century and continues to be a huge tourist attraction.

Thus, to convey the message of peace, the Japanese have been planting cherry blossoms across different countries of the world.

Some 27 countries across the world, including the US, New Zealand, Holland and South Korea, hold cherry blossom festivals. Last year, India became the 28th.

The Shillong cherry blossom festival is also unique in the sense that, while in other countries the cherry trees flower in March-June, here these blossom in November.

Dinabandhu Sahoo, Director of the Imphal, Manipur-based Institute of Bioresources and Sustainable Development (IBSD) which helps organise the festival, said the event generates huge employment and revenues in cities across the world.

“In Washington DC alone, the festival typically brings more than 1.5 million visitors and brings in $400 million in revenues every year,” Sahoo said.

He also mentioned that the India International Cherry Blossom Festival 2017, which was held in Shillong to mark the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development, attracted more than one lakh visitors and boosted the local economy by 300 per cent.

The India International Cherry Blossom Festival 2018 will celebrate the unique mass flowering of autumn Himalayan cherry blossoms with several cultural events in Shillong, a statement issued by the organisers said.

Visitors can enjoy fashion shows, rock concerts, a beauty pageant and even compete in an amateur golf tournament.

Alongside, there will also be stalls showcasing the region’s food, arts and crafts and several Japanese cultural events and a Japanese food pavilion in partnership with the Japanese Embassy in India.

–IANS
ab/nir

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Dr. Abhishek Verma Dedicates a Shelter in Memory of His Mother, Veena Verma, at KGMU; Inaugurated by Daughter Nicolle Verma

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World-renowned business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has supported Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission. In memory of his mother, Late Veena Verma, who was a 3 term Rajya Sabha MP.

Dr. Verma dedicated a state-of-the-art free permanent shelter for the attendants of patients at KGMU Medical University, Lucknow, under the aegis of Vijay Shree Foundation. His daughter, Nicolle Verma, inaugurated the shelter.

During the event, Foodman Vishal Singh honored Nicolle Verma by presenting her with a memento. Mrs. Nidhi Sharma and Avantika Yadav, associated with the organization, welcomed her with garlands. Following this, Nicolle Verma distributed essential items to the attendants and also handed out fruits. She became emotional remembering her grandmother on her birth anniversary.

On this occasion, she also inaugurated the “Veena Verma Sevalaya” in memory of her grandmother, Veena Verma, to serve the attendants. She expressed, “I feel proud that my family is engaged in nation-building as well as social service. Today, in collaboration with Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh Ji, I feel immensely proud to dedicate this shelter for the poor, helpless, and needy attendants of patients battling serious illnesses like cancer. I am honored to be associated with the Hunger-Free World Mission for humanity.”

Inspired by the continuous humanitarian service provided by Vijay Shree Foundation over the past 17 years, Nicolle Verma donated 10 lakh rupees to support the cause. The purpose of this donation is to ensure that services continue for the needy attendants of patients suffering from severe illnesses in hospitals, as facilitated by Foodman Vishal Singh.

It is noteworthy that Dr. Abhishek Verma’s family has a legacy of public and philanthropic service. They are helping millions to carry forward the values and service work of their parents. On the occasion of his mother’s birth anniversary, Dr. Abhishek Verma dedicated this state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College to serve the attendants of patients through the Vijay Shree Foundation.

Supporting Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission, Dr. Abhishek Verma assured that he would continually support keeping this flame of humanity alive. He also promised to assist in providing medicines to the helpless patients.

Continuing her grandmother’s legacy of service, Nicolle Verma personally served food to the needy patients and attendants. She said, “It is our good fortune to have received the joy of doing this noble work today through Foodman Vishal Singh. I have taken another step forward in carrying my family’s values and cooperation by joining hands with the Vijay Shree Foundation. My father taught me to serve and help the needy, and I feel happy when I bring a smile to someone’s face.”

On the birth anniversary of the late Veena Verma, the event organizer, Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh, said, “We feel proud and happy that Dr. Abhishek Verma, a globally renowned business tycoon, has extended his support to uplift our country from the hunger index. Today, on his mother’s birth anniversary, he inaugurated a state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College, which will always be helpful for the needy attendants of patients. It is a pleasure for me and the organization to receive the affection of Mr. Verma.”

The event was attended by General Manager Verma Family Office Hemant Garg, Sonu Rajput, and the organization’s volunteers, including Sandeep Singh, Parmeshwar Ji, Prashant Rao Gautam, Balram Singh, Ramesh Chaudhary, Suman, Jeetu, Anil, Suraj, Vinay, Manish Bhadauria, Manas Mehrotra, Vivek, Apurv, Happy, and others.

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