Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], February 23 (ANI): Speaking on the cultural unity of India, Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi on Friday said that Bharat is a cultural and civilizational evolution. He was speaking at an event organised to celebrate the foundation day of Arunachal Pradesh and Mizoram here.

"About 600 years back a great person from Kamrup in present-day Assam Maha Purushankar Dev at the age of 30 came all the way to Rameshwaram. He came to Kanchipuram and then went to Kashi and then returned to Assam. He then wrote a poem, 'Dhanya Dhanya Bharat Bhoomi'... People have been moving from one part to another living here, living there as a family. This is precisely what Bharat is," Governor RN Ravi said.

Also Read | Gujarat Police Seize 50 Kg of Heroin Valued at Rs 350 Crore, Nine Arrested.

"Bharat is a cultural and civilizational evolution. This sense of familyhood is what makes this country Bharat," he added.

He said that the celebration of Arunachal Day or Mizoram Day is not just their celebration but of the Bharat.

Also Read | PM Narendra Modi Slams Rahul Gandhi for His Drunkard Youth Remark, Says 'Congress Leader Venting Frustration on Youth of Uttar Pradesh' (Watch Video).

"It's a celebration of not governments but the people. Both these states are beautiful, beautiful natural endowments, beautiful people and rich culture. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's brilliant idea is that the celebration of statehood day is a celebration of culture. We need to revive the old spirit, that is the pre-colonial spirit," Governor Ravi said.

He said that though in the pre-colonial era, there were many kingdoms in India, the people were united. He said in those times people from one part of the country traveled to the other part. And many times they settled down and they were welcomed. This is the beauty of the country, he said.

"Arunachal Pradesh and Mizoram are very beautiful states. They have beautiful natural endowments, landscapes, forests, mountains, and a very rich culture. The Prime Minister wanted this statehood day to be a celebration of the culture of that estate and the whole country should celebrate it. And we need to revive that old spirit which existed until the pre-colonial days," Governor Ravi said.

That spirit got weakened and we started confining ourselves to our limited area. Things are better today because of greater connectivity. People are travelling from one end to the other. They know each other. But till about 30 years back, till about 40 years back, there was far more ignorance. But today, though we know each other more, there is still room for knowing each other more," he added. (ANI)

(The above story is verified and authored by ANI staff, ANI is South Asia's leading multimedia news agency with over 100 bureaus in India, South Asia and across the globe. ANI brings the latest news on Politics and Current Affairs in India & around the World, Sports, Health, Fitness, Entertainment, & News. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)