Lucknow: The 84th edition of the vibrant Lok Chaupal was organized on Monday at Kudiya Ghat along the banks of the Gomti River by the Lok Sanskriti Shodh Sansthan. The Phag festival celebration brought together lovers of folk culture who immersed themselves in traditional Holi songs and exchanged greetings by applying gulal to one another.
A unique highlight of the event was the collective singing of Phag while seated in boats on the river, creating a picturesque and melodious atmosphere along the Gomti. The festive spirit resonated with the lyrics of “Macho Phag Ghanghor Aaj Hori Jhoom Ri,” as participants swayed to the rhythm of age-old melodies.
The program commenced with a devotional rendition of Shri Ram Stavan by Archana Gupta. This was followed by soulful performances of traditional Holi songs including “Hori Khele Raghuveera Awadh Ma,” “Mat Maaro Shyam Pichkari,” “Khele Masane Mein Hori Digambar,” “Phagun Aisa Salona Sipahi,” and “Macho Phag Ghanghor Aaj Hori Jhoom Ri.” The performances celebrated the rich folk heritage associated with the festival of colours.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Sudha Dwivedi, Secretary of the institute, stated that as per tradition, members of the organization will continue to participate in musical gatherings organized at various locations during the festive season.
Among those present were Institute President Jitesh Srivastava, Dr. Anil Kumar Gupta, Dr. S.K. Gopal, Indu Saraswat, Aparna Singh, Prof. Seema Sarkar, Amitabh Rai, Kavita Singh, Manorama Mishra, Seema Agarwal, Deveshwari Panwar, Rita Pandey, Jyoti Kiran Ratan, Satyaprakash Sahu, Arpit, Gaurav Gupta, Bhushan Agarwal, Pappu Awasthi, Anoop Sharma, Akhilesh Shashwat, Krishna Singh, Savita Trivedi, magician Suresh Kumar, Anmol Maurya, Ramesh Singh and several others, who collectively added to the cultural fervour of the evening.
The 84th Lok Chaupal once again reaffirmed Lucknow’s enduring bond with its folk traditions, blending music, devotion and festivity on the serene banks of the Gomti.
