Ramnagar/Barabanki, Amrit Vichar. On the occasion of the appearance festival of Lord Lodheshwar at the mythological pilgrimage site Mahadeva, the traditional Aghani fair and Mahadeva Mahotsav were formally inaugurated on Monday. As per tradition, District Magistrate Shashank Tripathi reached the temple at the Vishwa Kalyan gate with the urn amidst the music of the band and chanting of Har-Har Mahadev. With this, the seven-day long Aghani fair began.
On reaching the temple, Pt. Anil Shastri and Aditya Maharaj welcomed the DM by presenting him a bodysuit, coconut and flowers. Amidst the Vedic chanting of priests, DM and CDO A. Sudan anointed Lodheshwar Mahadev with water, milk, curd, honey, ghee and fruits and flowers. During this, the entire campus echoed with the chants of Har Har Mahadev. The temple and the premises were decorated with attractive garlands and colorful lights.
Joint Magistrate Gunjita Aggarwal, former MLA Sharad Kumar Awasthi, former District President Shashank Kusmesh, Chairman Ramsharan Pathak, Block Chief Sanjay Tiwari, Additional Superintendent of Police Vikas Chandra Tripathi, CO Garima Pant, Tehsildar Vipul Kumar Singh, SHO Anil Kumar Pandey, BDO Jitendra Kumar and ADO Abhay Shukla and Mahadeva Outpost Incharge Abhinandan Pandey Tiwari and other officers were present.
After the puja, DM reached the cultural stage and formally inaugurated the Mahadeva Mahotsav by lighting the lamp. He said that efforts have been made to organize the festival on a grand scale and it is hoped that more and more people will enjoy the fair.
NCC cadets, children of scout-guides and Anganwadi workers welcomed the DM by showering flowers at Vishwa Kalyan Dwar. The beautiful rangoli made by the students of Kanti Mahavidyalaya was the center of attraction. After this, DM inaugurated ‘Bahar Sugam Sangeet Academy’ and Kathak dance program in the cultural pandal. DM said that Lodheshwar Dham is the pride of the district and the government is working towards developing it by making it a corridor as its dream project.
Various stalls set up in the fair premises include clay art, chikankari, lezine art of the District Industries Centre, warm clothing shop of Khadi Village Industries, Mo. of Deva. Zeeshan’s bedsheets and quilts, Jilani Group’s bangles and toys also attracted people’s attention. Stalls of health, child development, handloom and other departments have also been set up. A large number of devotees and spectators were present in the fair ground to enjoy small and big swings, Amarnath cave sightseeing and other means of entertainment.
Festival decorated with easy musical notes, children’s presentation capped the event
On the colorful stage of Mahadeva Mahotsav, the children of Bahar Sugam Music Academy mesmerized the audience by giving mesmerizing presentations of bhajans and Holi songs. The program started with Academy coordinator Prabhat Narayan Dixit’s composition Hey Lambodar Vikat Mev, Hey Bhalchandra Tum Raksha Karo Ganesh Vandana, which created a spiritual atmosphere in the entire auditorium. After this, the students gave excellent performances on songs like Bholenath’s Holi Rang Gayo Man Mora and Bhola Ke Rang Mein, which were greatly appreciated by the audience.
Academy student Shri Kanth Shukla received a lot of applause by presenting a pleasing dance on Holi song. Musicians Ajit Dwivedi, Satyendra Das, Karthikeya, Kailash Dixit, Sudhakar and other students of the academy participated in the program. At the conclusion of the program, former MLA Sharad Kumar Awasthi honored the artists by presenting mementos and wished them a bright future. Cultural performances made the first day of the festival memorable and the faces of the audience lit up with enthusiasm.
