Light and sound show, in Amitabh Bachchan’s voice, begins at Sarnath

Sarnath reverberated with the life and times of Lord Gautama Buddha in the baritone voice of actor Amitabh Bachchan on Monday evening, when the light and sound show came to life following its inauguration by Prime Minister Narendra Modi via a video-link.

The light and sound show will be held daily between 7.30pm and 8pm at Dhamekh Stupa, a historical Buddhist site.

The Rs7.88-crore project would mesmerise the visitors to Sarnath, said an official from the tourism department.

“The show is a retelling of Lord Buddha’s life and his preaching. Sarnath is a holy site, where Lord Buddha had delivered his first sermons,” said Keertiman Srivastava, regional tourism officer.

Bachchan narrated the story of Lord Buddha’s life, which would be displayed through colourful lights, he said.

“The show will give a boost to tourism. A large number of international tourists visit Sarnath. However, most of them visit during the day. Their footfall is likely increase in the evening because of the show,” he said.

“Visitors will get to know more about the importance of historical monuments in Sarnath and Lord’s Buddha’s life,” he added.

The entry to the show was free for the visitors on the first day.

UP minister for tourism Neelkanth Tiwari, Varanasi divisional commissioner Deepak Agarwal, and Varanasi district magistrate (DM) Kaushalraj Sharma and several other officials watched the show on the inaugural day.