Rajgir (Bihar): The three-day Rajgir Mahotsav 2024 got off to a mellifluous start on Saturday (December 21) with noted Bollywood singer Jubin Nautiyal presenting his most sought after songs on the stage, set in the backdrop of world famous historic sites at the state guesthouse ground.
Along with film songs, Nautiyal also rendered many devotional songs, which captivated the audience. Songs he presented include ‘Meri Zindagi Hai Tu’, ‘Dil Galti Kar Baitha Hai’, ‘Raata Lambiya’, ‘Sun Sun Barsaat Ki Dhun’, ‘Main Jis Din Bhool Doon Tera Pyar Dil Se’…
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The audience gave a standing ovation to the singers when he performed songs like Gajab Ka Hai Din Socho Zara, Pehla Nasha, Pehla Khumaar etc.
Earlier, On Saturday, rural development minister Shravan Kumar inaugurated the festival and said that the Rajgir Mahotsav had a rich history. “The history of the hills here is older than the Himalayas. This festival has been organized since 1986 to promote the religious traditions here and offers an opportunity to experience local specialties,” said the minister.
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Underlining the efforts of chief minister Nitish Kumar in enriching the historic place with tourist amenities, the minister said that Rajgir is moving towards becoming a global tourist destination.
Recently, an international level hockey championship was organized at Rajgir. The state government is also looking to host international cricket matches at the newly built stadium. Various government departments have also set up stalls at Rajgir Mahotsav site to let people know about the schemes being run by them.
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CM Nitish Kumar was scheduled to open the show
Chief minister Nitish Kumar was slated to inaugurate the event. As he fell sick, rural development minister Shravan Kumar had to do the inaugural formalities along with local MP and other leaders. The festival has been organised by the tourism department to draw the tourists’ attention.
Rajgir Mahotsav–a tale of falling standards
Launched in 1986 as an annual event to highlight the rich cultural and historical heritage of Rajgir and Nalanda, the Rajgir Mahotsav used to be eagerly awaited by culture and music lovers of the state. It had provided platforms to the artists of national and international reputes like Hema Malini to Sanyukta Panigrahi, Ravindra Jain, Nida Fazli, Talat Aziz, Ghazal Samrat Ghulam Ali, Birju Maharaj, Jaswinder Narula, Alka Yagnik, Pandit Shivkumar Sharma, Meenakshi, Anup Jalota, Kalpana Patwari, Alka Yagnik, Jaspinder Narula, Udit Narayan, Poornima and Anuradha Paudwal.
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However, the state government began opting for easily available artists, which mainly commanded appeal among the youths. Apart from Jubin Nautiyal and folk singer Maithili Thakur, there are hardly any prominent names, who had the capacity to attract serious music lovers. Indian Idol stars like Arunita Kanjilal and Pawandeep are scheduled to perform at the event along with local artists.
This year’s theme is “Where there is woman, there is victory”
Tourism department has organised the event based on the theme of “Where there is a woman, there is victory”. In which competitions like dance, singing, quiz, cooking, fancy dress will be organized. To encourage young talents in the sports world, there will be indoor games like karate, wushu and taekwondo along with outdoor games like kabaddi, kho-kho, cricket.