IAF Airshow Kicks Off 3-Day Chhattisgarh Rajyotsav
The airshow featuring the Sarang Helicopter Display Team, Garud Commandos and Akash Ganga skydivers marks Chhattisgarh's State Foundation Day celebrations.
A grand airshow by the Indian Air Force (IAF) kicked off the three-day Rajyotsav of Chhattisgarh, held here to mark the state formation day on Sunday.
The IAF’s Akash Ganga Skydiving Team, Garud Commandos and Sarang Helicopter Display Team thrilled the gathering with their daring maneuvers, precise control, and remarkable coordination.
The captivating tricolour formations in the sky, impressive helicopter formations, and the strains of ‘Vande Mataram’ filled the atmosphere with patriotism and national pride.
“The Sarang team’s participation in the state’s Foundation Day celebration is a matter of immense pride and joy”, chief minister Vishnu Deo Sai who was present on the occasion said.
The main Sarang air display will be held on the second day of the Rajyotsav on Monday.
On the occasion of Chhattisgarh’s State Foundation Day, the Sarang team also expressed its special affection and respect for the state.
During the aerial display, Group Captain Abhijit Kumar greeted the people of Chhattisgarh from the helicopter cockpit with the state’s popular slogan, “Chhattisgarhiya Sable Badiya” (Chhattisgarh people are the best).
The IAF personnel’s gesture of recognizing Chhattisgarh’s distinctive identity and the sentiments of its people made the moment especially memorable.
The exhibition on the rich art and heritage of Chhattisgarh, being organized on the occasion, has drawn huge response from the people visiting the Rajyotsav.
Jhara artefacts have emerged as the major attraction at the Shilpgram zone established on the occasion.
The Shilpgram zone displays the state’s traditional handicrafts and handmade products, drawing huge crowds.
Inaugurating the Rajyotsav, Union minister Mansukh Mandavia said that Chhattisgarh which was once synonymous with the Leftwing Extremism, has now emerged as the tourism hub.
The transformation of the state post-Maoist period is discernible with the multinational companies evincing keenness to invest in the state and set up their ventures, he said.
Mr. Sai said that the biggest achievement done in the last three years of his government was the eradication of decades old Naxalism in the state.
Maoism had posed the biggest hurdle in the development of the state.
The end of Naxalism has paved the way for rapid growth of the state with the utilization of its abundant natural resources, he said.