The Vice President of India, M. Venkaiah Naidu has said that protecting the rich and vibrant culture of India was the duty of every citizen. He said that festivals such as Ugadi, Gudi Padwa, Vaishakhi, Vishu and others reflect the composite culture and rich heritage of our country.The former Vice President, Shri M. Hamid Ansari, the former Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh, the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi, Shri Anil Baijal and several eminent personalities from different walks of life attended ‘Ugadi Milan’ hosted by the Vice President and his wife Smt. Usha Naidu at Uparashtrapati Bhavan, here today.Addressing the gathering, the Vice President said that the message of ‘Ugadi’ had always been about taking the joys and sorrows of life with equanimity.Referring to Ugadi Chutney - Ugadi Pachchadi made of neem flowers, jaggery, raw mango, chillies, tamarind and salt, Shri Naidu said that it signifies the true essence of life and its journey.
‘It is a symbolic indication of the diversity of experiences that constitute human life, the mixed bag of emotions that we all experience on a day to day basis. It is a pointer to how we should sail through life, enjoying life as it unfolds and savouring the happiness as well as learning how to take the agonizing moments in our stride, he said.Shri Naidu said Indian festivals such as the Ugadi remind people that they were all heirs of a civilization that had a universal, inclusive, integrated vision of welfare of all humanity. ‘This makes it a country with a timeless and therefore, an eternally relevant vision,’ he added.Recital of Panchangam (Telugu New Year almanac) by Dr. Madugula Nagaphani Sharma, a scintillating Yoga performance by students of Rajiv Gandhi University of Knowledge and Technology, Nuzvid, Andhra Pradesh and dance a performance by troupe of Shri Raja Reddy & Smt. Radha Reddy were part of the celebrations.