A two-day tiger festival kicked off in Nagpur, which is also known as the Tiger capital of India, in a bid to promote wildlife tourism and spread a message of saving tigers. Sushmita Sen and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief Nitin Gadkari graced the occasion on Saturday. 

Various colourful performances and competitions were held during the festival, which saw participation of students from across the city. 

Visitors at the festival said the message of saving tigers should be spread across the country to put an end to the declining number of tigers as per an ANI report.

"This message should spread to the whole country that this region, this country is a tiger country. Last year, Jairam Ramesh and Prithviraj Chavan had given a principal note to the country that this city has been announced as the Tiger capital city. Today Sushmita Sen graced the event and nothing big can happen for Nagpur that the potential of this city is being recognised all over," said Ranjit Deshmukh, a visitor. 

The event, which showcased the famous tiger dance of Nagpur was the main attraction of the festival. Other events like drawing competition for children; with the theme of 'Friends of Tiger', photography competition on 'Splendours of Tiger Country', skit competition and a fashion show on the theme of tigers were also organised. 

Poaching and loss of habitat are the most important causes of decline in the number of tigers in India. 

Conservationists say that despite the ban on the use of body parts of the tiger in medicines, the trade in tiger skin and bones was booming in China, where everything from fur to whiskers to eyeballs to bones, are in great demand.