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Modi inaugurates Sri Sri's World Cultural Festival, calls it Kumbh Mela of art

The Opposition criticised the mega-show, with CPM general secretary Sitaram Yechury accusing AOL of brazenly evading NGT orders.

By :  vittal shastri
Update: 2016-03-12 03:15 GMT
Modi spoke of India's cultural diversity and said that not only economy, but also culture can link India with rest of the world.
World Cultural Festival is being held to celebrate the foundation's 35 years in service.
The National Green Tribunal allowed the event but asked Art of Living to pay Rs. 5 crore to restore the area. The foundation agreed to pay Rs. 25 lakh first and the rest over three weeks.
Environmentalists allege that the festival, spread over 1,000 acres of the Yamuna's floodplains, will irreversibly damage the area.
Thousands came for the opening, unfazed by traffic or the heavy rain and hail that led to brief chaos at the 1000 acre area that includes a stage as big as six football fields for 35,000 performers from 150 countries.
In his brief speech at the event, Modi heaped praise on Sri Sri Ravi Shankar and said the guru had contributed to the world image of India.
Opposition criticised the mega-show, with CPI(M) accusing AOL of brazenly evading NGT orders and deplored that the event was being patronised by Modi himself.
The festival opened with chants and a traditional dance performed to music by 8,500 artistes.
Narendra Modi, while addressing Sri Sri Ravi Shankar's World Culture Festival on the banks of the Yamuna on Friday evening, described the mega-event as the Kumbh Mela of art.
The Opposition criticised the mega-show, with CPM general secretary Sitaram Yechury accusing AOL of brazenly evading NGT orders.

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