PoliticsStates
Mandaviya and Chief Minister Sai open Chhattisgarh Rajyotsav in Nava Raipur
The Union Minister and Vishnu Deo Sai formally started the state's three-day foundation day festival on Sunday evening, which closes on Tuesday with 41 state honours and Amit Shah in attendance.
Key points
- Mansukh Mandaviya and Vishnu Deo Sai formally opened Rajyotsav 2026 on Sunday evening.
- The closing day on Tuesday will see 41 state honours presented, with Amit Shah attending.
- Two new awards named after Teejan Bai and Sant Ravidas have been added this year.
Chhattisgarh’s 26th foundation day festival got under way on Sunday evening, with Union Minister Mansukh Mandaviya and Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai formally opening Rajyotsav 2026 at the festival ground in Nava Raipur Atal Nagar.
The opening came at the end of a busy day for the state government. Mandaviya flew into Raipur in the late afternoon and was due at a hospital programme in the city before heading to the venue, where the Chief Minister was scheduled to arrive at 6 pm. Singer Palak Muchhal was to headline the first night.
The festival, built around the theme “Empowered Women, Youth Flight”, runs until Tuesday at the Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Industry and Trade Complex. Government departments have set up exhibitions on their schemes, and local folk troupes perform alongside national acts.
The organisers have planned for big crowds, with parking for about 40,000 vehicles, two entry gates, around 60 LED screens, a 20-bed hospital with an ICU and 25 ambulances on standby. The Indian Air Force’s Sarang helicopter team and Suryakiran aerobatic team are flying displays on Sunday and Monday.
The closing ceremony on Tuesday will be attended by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, when 41 state honours will be presented. Two awards are new this year, one named after the Pandavani singer Teejan Bai and one after the saint Ravidas. Singer Abhijeet Bhattacharya is due to perform that night.
Chhattisgarh was carved out of Madhya Pradesh on 1 November 2000.