Should preserve best facets of individual cultures: Naidu

Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu on Sunday said that every person should contribute to preserving and propagating the best facets of individual cultures.

"Each country in the world has its own distinct culture. There is a unique richness in each of these cultures. Since we live in an interconnected world, there has been an intermingling of cultures. Our world is richer because of this diversity in cultures," Naidu said.

The Vice President was speaking at the inauguration of the first International Kala Mela organised by the Lalit Kala Akademi here. Union Culture Minister Mahesh Sharma was also at the event which will go on till February 17.

Naidu said that events like these will help have a greater understanding and appreciation of the cultural diversity around the world.

"We should bring out the best traditions, noble ideals and the finest expressions of human excellence in all art forms. We have a unique opportunity today through technology to learn from each other, appreciate the subtle nuances of artistic expressions and enrich our collective cultural capital," he added.

With a total of 325 exhibition stalls, the festival has more than 800 participants from around the world including countries such as France, Britain, China, Spain, Venezuela, Peru, Portugal, Sri Lanka, Poland, Tunisia, Mexico, Bangladesh, Trinidad, Tobago, Fiji, Papua New Guinea and Brazil.

--IANS

som/him/bg