Two-day festival to celebrate Ayodhya’s rich cultural heritage

Lucknow: A two-day literature and arts festival will be held in Ayodhya on March 21-22. It will feature noted poets, historians, authors, musicians and artists from across India who will discuss the rich cultural heritage of the temple town. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath will inaugurate the event which is being supported by UP Tourism department.The event, to be held at Raj Sadan — the palace of the erstwhile royal family of Ayodhya — will focus on the spiritual journey of the city, its legacy for the country, music and traditions of the Awadh region along with local cuisines and art works. An exhibition commemorating filmmaker Raj Kapoor's centenary and his contributions to cinema will be another highlight.Similarly, food stalls showcasing local cuisines, shilphaat promoting craftsmanship, local artisan, weavers and meet and greet sessions for audience members and those on the stage will also take place on the sidelines.Union minister Bhupendra Yadav and city mayor Girish Pati Tripathi will be among the speakers.Distinguished participants include Prasoon Joshi (writer and lyricist), Malini Awasthi (folk singer), Anant Vijay (journalist), Vikram Sampath (author), Ammber Pandey (poet), Pankaj Bhadouria (master chef) Manjari Chaturvedi (classical dancer), Vidya Shah (singer) among others. Conceptualised by co-directors Yatindra Mishra and Minhal Hasan the festival will also boost local economy.Mishra said: "Through this festival, we aspire to revive traditions, offering a vibrant platform not only for legendary artists but also for the unseen yet powerful voices working behind the scenes and voices that are deeply rooted in the sacred soil of Ayodhya."