Latur, Mar 27 (PTI) The Maharashtra government will promote folk arts of the state to preserve its culture and traditions, state Cultural Affairs Minister Amit Deshmukh has said.

Also Read | Weather Forecast: Heat Wave Conditions Very Likely Over Himachal Pradesh, Gujarat, and Rajasthan; Tamil Nadu, Kerala To Witness Thunderstorm.

Deshmukh, who is also Latur's guardian minister, was speaking on Saturday during the inauguration of the three-day 'Lavani Festival-2022', being held here for the first time.

Also Read | PBKS vs RCB, Dream11 Team Prediction IPL 2022: Tips To Pick Best Fantasy Playing XI for Punjab Kings vs Royal Challengers Bangalore, Indian Premier League Season 15 Match 3.

He said the state's traditional art forms like Lavani, Dashavatar, Khadi Gammat and Zadipatti need to be promoted to attract a wider audience.

Noting that artistes suffered a financial crisis due to the COVID-19 pandemic, he said the state government had announced a package of Rs 40 crore for them.

Deshmukh said Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray is committed to promote the arts and artistes from the state.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)