Lucknow Mahotsav to be held in March/April
LUCKNOW: The district administration has decided to now organise the Lucknow Mahotsav in March or April next year, once the board examinations are over. “Although a meeting of the mahotsav samiti is yet to be organised, there are talks that the fest will be moved to March or April -- after the board exams,” said a senior administrative official. DM)Kaushal Raj Sharma said the final date of the annual fest is yet to be decided.
LUCKNOW: The city will have to wait a little longer for its most celebrated annual festival — the Lucknow Mahotsav. The district administration has decided to now organise the event only in March or April next year, once the Board examinations get over.
“Although a meeting of the Mahotsav samiti is yet to be organised, there are talks that the fest will be moved to March or April -after the board exams. The exact date is still to be decided,” said a senior administrative official.
District magistrate (DM) Kaushal Raj Sharma said the theme of the festival would be based on Lakshman -- younger brother of Lord Ram -- who is believed to have founded Lucknow.
The 10-day-long fest, which usually starts on November 25 every year, was postponed this time to avoid a clash with the UP civic bodies’ polls. “As all officials were occupied in conducting the polls, it would have been too much for them to manage both the grand events together. For this reason, the Mahotsav was postponed,” Sharma added.
It is the third time since its inception that the annual fest has been deferred. In 2015, the then
district administration decided to postpone the Mahotsav start date from January 27, 2016 to February 7, 2016. This was done to avoid a clash with the panchayat elections. An officer said that back in the 1980s too the event had to be shifted to a later date due to elections.
The Lucknow Mahotsav promotes the city’s rich cultural heritage and attracts tourists. It began in 1975 . Every year, craftsmen and artisans from all over the country participate in the fest and showcase their talent.