Kathmandu, Jan. 10:State Minister for Information and Communications Gobinda Bahadur Shaha today said that the multitude of languages, customs and cultures prevalent in the country constituted its cultural identity and appealed to all to preserve this cultural edifice marked by unity in diversity.

Nepal is called a garden with many flowers as it is the homeland of diverse ethnic communities with their distinct customs and cultures, Shaha said inaugurating the one-day nation-wide Phoolbari Song Festival here this morning organised jointly by Radio Nepal and Nepal Television on the occasion of 278th Prithvi Jayanti and National Unity Day.

The Constitution of the Kingdom of Nepal-1990 provides ample room for the development of the languages used by various communities side by side with the development of the national language, he said.

Shaha said that the government was committed to the principle of unity in diversity and appealed to the countrymen to contribute in the preservation of national unity and integrity and the promotion of the existing cultural, religious and ethnic integration.

Prithvi Narayan Shaha the Great was a farsighted and skilled statesman in the history of Nepal, Information and Communications Secretary Sriram Poudel said. It is he who deserves the credit for unifying the divided quarters and giving Nepal the status of a nation, Poudel added.

Executive Director of Radio Broadcasting Services Development Committee Mukunda Prasad Acharya said that the festival was organised with a view to give the audience a taste of the entire Nepali culture and hoped that it would be instrumental in preserving the existing cultural diversity.

Nepal is a multicultural, multi-lingual and multi-ethnic country, Nepal Television’s General Manager Tapanath Shukla said and appealed to all to have respect for each other’s language, culture and customs.

The song festival that featured 26 songs representing Tamang, Rai, Sherpa, Limbu, Gurung, Magar, Tharu, Chepang, Jhangad, Jirel, Newari, Maithili, Bhojpuri, Rasuwali and Hyamlo communities was aired live by Radio Nepal and NTV.