‘BREATHLESS’ START TO GKP MAHOTSAV

GORAKHPUR : The three-day Gorakhpur Mahotsav began with colourful performances by school children and artistes on the campus of DDU Gorakhpur university on Thursday.

Despite chilling cold condition, the crowd enjoyed a performance by Bollywood singer Shankar Mahadevan. Many other Bollywood stars, including Shan, Jatin Pandit and Anuradha Paudwal will be performing on Jan 12 and 13. Sports competition including shooting and chess and interschool debate competition were also organised. An exhibition on Agro products, banka, automobiles, education and food and craft also attracted the crowd. Exhibition on Swami Vivekanand was another center of attraction. The entire campus has been decked up with lights, flowers and balloons. The festival’s theme song “Nath Yogi” haling the Nath sect to which CM Yogi Adityanath belongs was played out loud.

Governor Ram Naik was to inaugurate the event but failed to attend due to poor weather. He addressed the gathering through mobile phone which was held closed to a mike.

In his absence, Irrigation minister Dharampal Singh inaugurated the event as chief guest while many BJP MPs and MLAs, including Radha Mohan Das, Kamlesh Paswan shared the stage with the minister. Addressing the gathering, the governor expressed regret over not attending the programme and extended his best wishes to the Gorakhpur residents for the cultural event. “Gorakhpur has assumed more significance because of Yogi Adityanath who is doing a remarkable job and taking the state to new heights of development,” he said.

After his address, traditional dances of different states were performed by school children in groups of 40. At Samvad Bhawan, an interschool debate was organised. Besides posters welcoming the visitors to the events and banners put up by the sponsors, large posters enlisting achievements of the UP government was also put up. A tableau with large cutouts of saints of Nath sects, including Guru Gorakanath, Guru Machchendranath Guru Gambheernath , and successive chief priests of Gorakhnath temple Mahant Digvijaynath Mahant Avaidyanath and Yogi Adityanath was taken out.

› Gorakhpur has assumed more significance because of Yogi Adityanath who is doing a remarkable job and taking the state to new heights of development RAM NAIK , UP Governor

HT PHOTO ▪ Bollywood singer Shankar Mahadevan performing at the inaugural day of the Gorakhpur Mahotsav on Thursday.

HT PHOTO ▪ Artistes performing on the inaugural day of Gorakhpur Mahotsav on Thursday.