PHOTOS: Lucknow Mahotsav begins in CM Akhilesh Yadav's absence

UP Ministers inaugurating Lucknow Mahotsav 2016

Lucknow: Lucknow Mahotsav was inaugurated here in the Uttar Pradesh capital on November 25. Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, who was supposed to launch the 11-day-long festival, couldn’t attend the opening ceremony.

In his absence, UP cabinet minister Professor Abhishek Mishra, Animal Park minister Shiv Pratap Yadav, Higher Education state minister Sharda Pratap Shukla and Medical and Health state minister Ravidas Malhota marked the beginning of the Mahotsav by lighting the lamp.

On the occasion, local artists and Aam Aadmi Party’s celebrity leader Javed Jaffrey were also present here. Renowned dancer Padma Shri Shobhna Narayan delivered a charismatic dance performance in the Mahotsav. Models performed a commendable ramp walk in the Khadi Fashion Show at the Lucknow Mahotsav.

Apart from the politicians and artists, Lucknow Commissioner Bhuvnesh Kumar, DM Satyendra Singh, DIG Praveen Kumar, SSP Manzil Saini, ADM Finance and Revenue Nidhi Srivastava and a few officials of district administration, police and tourism departments also joined the ceremony.

Major highlights of Lucknow Mahotsav 2016-17:

• This year’s theme is ‘Virasat evam vikas, badalta kshitij’.
• The new things introduced this year are ‘Khadi Fashion Show’ and ‘Auto Zone’, which would lure limelight this year.
• A special booth has been set-up to make people aware about the importance of voting in the wake of upcoming 2017 Assembly Elections.
• The cultural fest this year will boast nearly 750 stalls for craftsmen, 350 commercial stalls, 71 pavilions for various institutions and 60 food stalls.

Big names to perform at prestigious Lucknow Mahotsav

• Kailash Kher (singer)
• Roop Kumar Rathor (singer)
• Shankar Ehsan Loy (music directors)
• Raju Srivastava (stand-up comedian)
• Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma (santoor maestro)
• Neeti Mohan (Singer)
• Kanika Kapoor (Singer)
• Padam Shree Shovana Narayan (Kathak Dancer) and others.

The closing ceremony of the Lucknow Mahotsav is scheduled on December 5 which would be joined by Governor Ram Naik.

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