Ahmedabad to turn 'I-Am-davad' to celebrate World Heritage City tag

NEW DELHI: Gujarati cuisine and folk music in all in-bound flights, Brand “I-Am-davad” on T-shirts, dance and music festivals on the riverfront, heritage walks through Bhadra Fort, lecture series on Parsi community – this and much more is being planned by the union gover nment in a 15-day international festival to celebrate India’s first World Heritage city at Ahmedabad.

From August 1 to 14, the Union government will celebrate Ahmedabad being declared a World Heritage City. The festival would be kicked off at the riverfront with a grand event on August 1. A mini India would be created near this venue, which would showcase India’s unique folk dances and cuisines.

Taking a leaf out of the international branding of “I-Am” or “Je suis”, the city’s municipal corporation has finalised a logo on the local name of the city “Amdavad”. Merchandise including T-shirts, keychains, coffee mugs, with logo “I-Am-davad” would be available at all monuments and even the airport.

A team of central ministers has been tasked with micromanaging the details of the festival. According to sources, this was the last assignment for M Venkaiah Naidu before he was declared the vice-presidential candidate by BJP.

Naidu assigned the task of coordinating the festival to secretary (housing and urban affairs) DS Mishra. Other ministers in the team include civil aviation minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju, I&B minister Smriti Irani and culture minister Mahesh Sharma.

A new initiative of 3D mapping – projecting images of Mahatma Gandhi and Sardar Patel on the façade – would be unveiled at the Bhadra fort. The Ahmedabad corporation has been asked to create selfie corners in the fort and other monuments around the city to create a buzz around the festival.

Special heritage walk would be organised for the differently-abled around Jain Derashars and a Kranti Yatra with freedom fighters. The culture ministry would enable free entry to all national monuments managed by Archaeological Survey of India. Hop-on Hop-off bus service to take tourists around the city would be organised during the 15-day festival.

After the programme ends, a follow-up week is being planned in November.