Mini-India in Rohtak as National Youth Festival begins

Over 5,000 youths from across the country gathered here as the National Youth Festival began today celebrating the 154th birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda.
The inauguration ceremony was a reflection of India's much-celebrated diversity as youths from all states and Union Territories marched past the dignitaries in outfits, performing arts representing their state's traditions.
Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar inaugurated the 21st edition of the five-day festival at Maharshi Dayanand University. He said a training programme for cashless transactions will be organised during the festival.
Youths from Haryana and other states, including Jammu and Kashmir, Karnataka, Kerala Punjab, and UT Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Chandigarh performed traditional songs and dances as the audience cheered them up.

This year's theme is 'Digital Yuva Bharat'.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the gathering through video conference. In his address, he exhorted youths to take up and popularise digital transactions.

Union Minister of State for Youth Affairs & Sports Vijay Goel administered a pledge to the youths to take up cashless transactions.
Haryana Sports and Youth Affairs Minister Anil Vij was also present on the occasion but Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, who was to attend the programme as the chief guest, did not come.
During the inauguration ceremony, there was a slight technical glitch while the national song was being played. The song stopped midway leaving Vij visibly upset. He was seen reluctantly leaving the stage after all other dignitaries came down.

Several cultural programmes and dramas by country's famous
choreographers are lined up over the next four days.
Tomorrow, the festival will witness 'Sangit Sandhya' and 'Sufi Gayan'.
Programmes involving folk songs and a comedy show would be organised on the third day of the event. There will be another programme of music on the evening of the penultimate day while on January 16, there will be a presentation on martial arts.
The Youth Festival is organised to celebrate the life, legacy and teachings of Swami Vivekananda. The first festival was held in 1985 after the central government had decided to commemorate the day to inspire the youths to emulate the path taken by Vivekananda.