New Delhi: A 3 Day Bihar Mahotsava began New Delhi on April 25 to showcase its cultural heritage under the aegis of Department of Youth, Culture and Arts with support from Sangeet Natak Akademi and Bihar Lalit Kala Akademi. The Deptt is hosting second such Mahotsava after having a similar one in Guwahati last month. It is being celebrated to commemorate the 102nd Foundation Year of Bihar.
The Mahotsava kicked off at Meghdoot-1 of Ravindra Bhawan(Firoz Shah Marg) amid strains of thumri, colourful folk performances and aroma of traditional cuisine.
A giant cut-out of world-famous Yakshi statue, sights of Madhubani paintings, Sikki art and photographs of the state’s famous monuments like Golghar and tomb of Maner Sharif welcomed the visitors at the Rabindra Bhawan premises bedecked with colourful festoons.
Visitors savoured the flavour of traditional cuisine like chuda-dahi, sattu drink, the famous litti-choka, and also visited stalls for handicraft and paintings of Bihar.
While folk dances delighted spectators, renditions of thumri of Benares gharana and Gaya gharana by artist Kumud Jha Diwan provided the classical interlude.
The Mahotsava would be supplemented by Cultural Program on Bihar every evening. According to Department’s Secretary Chanchal Kumar, it will give people here an opportunity to know the art, culture, music, cuisine and handicrafts of Bihar.
Ever since its inception in 2009, the Mahotsava has been organized in various cities including Kolkata, followed by Allahabad, Jaipur and Guwahati.