Lucknow, Nov 12 (IANS): Lucknow Mahotsav, the festival that celebrates the art and culture of the Avadh region and beyond, has been cancelled, said officials.
The ten-day event was all set to stage a comeback after five years.
The cultural extravaganza was to be organised at its old venue -- the Kanshiram Smriti Upvan in Ashiana -- from November 25 to December 5, but has been called off indefinitely due to undisclosed reasons.
Sources in the state government said that the government was not willing to organise the Mahotsav as it organises UP Diwas in the month of January. If at all the Mahotsav is organised, then it would be held around the UP Diwas only.
Last time, the Mahotsav was organised in Lucknow in 2018-19.
Regional tourism officer Kalyan Singh Yadav said, “The tourism department had already floated tenders for the stalls and other things but all of a sudden, things have been put on hold.”
Principal secretary tourism and culture Mukesh Meshram said, “The Lucknow Mahotsav will not be held this year due to some unavoidable circumstances.”
District Magistrate Suryapal Gangwar said, “The Lucknow Mahotsav is not going to held from November 25. As of now, there is no Lucknow Mahotsav.”
Spokesperson of Samajwadi Party Ashutosh Varma said, “The event which used to showcase the real culture of Lucknow has not been organised for the last five years. There is a clear indication from BJP that till they are in power, the people of Lucknow will only be able to watch plays like Janata Raja or the Deepotsav. It is for everyone to see where the funds are getting spent and what they are promoting.”
“No one is asking why the funds marked for Lucknow Mahotsav are not spent in Lucknow? Why is the event not held when the tender process was started? There is something more to what we are able to see,” he added.
Mukesh Singh Chauhan Congress corporator and spokesperson said, “We can see that any event which promotes real art, culture, language and harmony is not organised by the state government. For the last five years cultural and development activities have been limited to regions like Gorakhpur and Varanasi.”