Lucknow Mahotsav: A cultural extravaganza

This is Naman,a Class 12th student from Lucknow-The City of Nawabs.(I feel proud to say that :) ).The city has a very special place in my heart and so let me take you all to a  journey to Lucknow. We all have read about Imambara,Rumi Darvaza etc. but how many of you know about Lucknow Mahotsav? Lucknow Mahotsav is an important state annual festival of Uttar Pradesh, celebrated in Lucknow, which is held between 25th November and 5th December ,&  is a cultural extravaganza. Mahotsav is yet another festival for Lucknowites. :D The Mahotsav is also a great event for the food connoisseurs, from Thandai to Kesaria doodh, Kabab- parathas and other mouth watering non-veg exotic dishes are there for them. The Mahotsav offers every delicacy at the most affordable prices.

An Aerial View of Mahotsav'11

Lucknow Mahotsav is also a shopping delight, as craftsmen from all parts of the country gather here to enthrall the audience with their masterpieces.

Entrance Gate

That's my favourite :D

A ride

How it started?

The year 1975-76 was observed and organized by South Asian as The Tourism Year.On this occasion in the motive to promote Lucknow’s Art, Culture and Tourism for-national and international tourists, the decision to organize the Lucknow Festivalwas taken. During this period with exception to a few years Lucknow Mahotsav has been organized every year. During the festival, an array of things from Tonga races to Vintage cars reminds one of the past glories.

Objectives:-

Children's area

Lucknow Mahotsava is organized every year to showcase Uttar Pradesh Art and Culture and in particular Lucknowavi ‘Tehzeeb’ so as to promote Tourism. One of the objectives of the cultural bonanza is to provide encouragement to the Artisans.Craftsmen from all over the country bring their masterpieces to the festival to the delight of shoppers. Colorful processions, traditional dramas, Kathak dances in the style of Lucknow Gharana, Sarangi and sitar recitals, ghazals, qawalis and thumri produce a cheerful atmosphere during the ten day long festival. Exciting events like ekka races, kite flying, cock fighting and other customary village games re-establish an ambiance of the bygone Nawabi days. Experience a lifestyle and culture sweetly cherished with Indian festival Tours.

Rides at Mahotsav-2009

Cuisines:-

Besides being the right destination for the arts & crafts, the Mahotsav is also a delight for the connoisseurs of good food as it is the ideal place to pamper the taste buds of the visitors with endless varieties of scrumptious dishes as a wide range of cuisines are available at the festival, including Kesaria Doodh, Kabab-parathas and other mouth watering non-vegetarian exotic dishes.

Tundey Kababi

Tundey Kababs

Entertainment:-

The 10 days long festival not only has things for creating lines on your forehead and raising your eyebrows but also has something to cheer about. The festival invites many musical as well as comical artists for completing your day in its full sense. The festival celebrated between 25th November and 5th December in Lucknow, the capital of Uttar Pradesh, is a cultural extravaganza.

Shaan performing on the stage (03/12/11)

This year Visitors relished the world famous cuisines. Around 30 Stalls remained crowed with Lucknowites and people coming from different parts of the world. Most interesting were Makhan Mali, Thandai, Kesaria Dooth  (milk), Kabab parathas and other non-veg mouth-watering dishes.  Wahid Biryani, Tundey Kababi, Special pan and Rajasthani foods were also special .It was observed that people liked the food items more than the joy rides.

All in all, we Nawabs have a great time at Mahotsav.It usually takes around 5-7 hours to cover the full thing. As I wrote above, The Mahotsav is a Shopper’s Stop. It has every thing to offer, be it handicrafts, furniture, clothes etc. Women have a great time draining their husband’s pockets. The entry ticket is quite nominal @ Rs.10/-. Seasonal tickets are also available for ten days @ Rs. 50/-. Interestingly, Around 1 lakh visitors flocked on last day of Festival. Isn’t that a huge number!

One must come to experience the fete, as it offers a variety of everything you can imagine! And its time to say goodbye, hope you all enjoyed. ;)

“Yeh Neem ka ped Chandan se kam nahi,aur Hamara Lucknow London se kam nahi”

-Naman (www.NamanIN.co.cc)