The Uttarakhand Mahotsav will bring folk performances, regional food, handicrafts and products from 13 states to Lucknow’s Gomti riverfront from November 9 to 22, with organisers planning a 14-day public festival featuring around 120 stalls and daily cultural programmes.
The festival will showcase Uttarakhand’s folk traditions, music, dance, cuisine and handicrafts. The stalls will offer woollens, jewellery, home décor items, footwear, pickles, snacks and regional food, according to the organisers. The event is being organised by the Uttarakhand Mahaparishad.
The programme will begin on November 9 with a debate competition focused on 26 years of Uttarakhand’s formation and its development journey. A live cooking competition is scheduled for November 10, allowing women participants to prepare traditional and other delicacies. Media coordinator Rajendra Kanwal said the cooking competition would be open to the public.
The mahotsav will be inaugurated by Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath. Uttarakhand chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami is scheduled to attend as the chief guest on November 17. The organisers have also announced the annual Uttarakhand Gaurav Samman for folk singer Veena Tiwari and scientist Dr V P Dimri for their contributions to society, Uttarakhand Mahaparishad president Harish Chandra Pant said.
Daily performances by Chholiya dance troupes will form a central part of the festival. The performers will appear in traditional colourful attire and use folk instruments while welcoming visitors and entertaining audiences at the venue. Chholiya is a traditional dance form associated with Uttarakhand.
The event will also include painting and drawing workshops for children, along with selfie corners for visitors. With stalls representing specialities from 13 states, the festival is expected to combine cultural programming with the sale of regional products and food.
The choice of the Gomti banks places the festival within one of Lucknow’s prominent public-facing urban spaces. The programme will run through November 22, giving residents and visitors multiple opportunities to attend the performances, competitions, workshops and market stalls. The organisers’ next scheduled milestones are the opening debate competition on November 9, the public cooking competition on November 10 and the Uttarakhand chief minister’s visit on November 17.
