Lucknow Mahotsav, the city’s most prominent annual cultural festival, will now be begin in the third week of January instead of its traditional date November 25 that was announced earlier, district magistrate Abhishek Prakash announced here on Thursday.
The decision was taken during a meeting of the Mahotsav Samiti on Thursday but the reason for the postponement was not specified.
“Lucknow Mahotsav would be held in the third week of January 2020. The decision was taken at the Mahotsav Samiti meeting,” said Prakash.
Some officials, who did not wish to be named, said the decision was taken in view of the impending verdict of the Supreme Court on the Ayodhya dispute.
Barring 2018, the fest has not started on its traditional date (November 25) since 2015.
In 2015, the district administration decided to postpone the Mahotsav and hold it from January 27, 2016 to February 7, 2016 instead as the original dates coincided with the panchayat elections.
In 2017, the festival did not begin in November-end. Instead, it was held from January 2018 onwards and the administration clubbed it with UP Mahotsav. The venue was shifted to the Avadh Shilp Gram along Shaheed Path at the time.
This year, the samiti had announced that artists from the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) countries would perform at the over-40-year-old festival. But it remains to be seen whether the postponement of the event to January would affect the cultural programmes that the samiti had earlier planned, those in the know of things said.
{{/usCountry}}This year, the samiti had announced that artists from the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) countries would perform at the over-40-year-old festival. But it remains to be seen whether the postponement of the event to January would affect the cultural programmes that the samiti had earlier planned, those in the know of things said.
{{/usCountry}}MAHOTSAV FACTS
The Lucknow Mahotsav, which aimed to exhibit the city’s rich heritage and culture, was first held in 1975 to give a boost to the tourism. Since then, it has become an annual affair in the state capital.
The 10-day fest generally starts on November 25.
In 2015, the district administration had decided to postpone the mahotsav date to January 27, 2016 to February 7, 2016 after the dates coincided with the panchayat elections.