Lucknow: The seventh day of the 14-day Uttarakhand Mahotsav 2026 witnessed a vibrant celebration of folk culture, traditional art, music and heritage at the Bharat Ratna Pt. Govind Ballabh Pant Parvatiya Sanskritik Upvan on the banks of the Gomti river. Organised by the Uttarakhand Mahaparishad, the festival brought together the rich cultural traditions of Uttarakhand and diverse artistic expressions from different parts of the country.
Chholiya dance performances remained among the major attractions, with artists presenting the traditional martial folk dance in colourful costumes accompanied by indigenous musical instruments. The performances offered visitors a glimpse into the valour, traditions and cultural life of Uttarakhand.
The festival also featured stalls displaying organic products, traditional food items, pulses, millets (Shree Anna), Pahari jewellery, traditional Pichhauras and handmade handicrafts. Products prepared by women’s self-help groups received special attention, promoting local livelihoods, women’s empowerment and self-employment.
The day’s programme was inaugurated by MLC Pawan Singh Chauhan, along with special guest Himani Rawat, Deputy Director, Directorate of Culture. Other guests included Sushil Kumar Bachcha, General Secretary, Jawahar Bhawan Employees’ Association; Pawan Kumar Jain, president of Jain Samaj, Lucknow; and Hemlata Dangwal, Head of the Department of Education, Lucknow University. They jointly lit the ceremonial lamp.
Addressing the gathering, Chauhan appreciated the Mahaparishad’s efforts to preserve and promote folk art and culture. He said such festivals provide a platform to folk artists, enabling them to carry traditional cultural practices forward and pass the heritage on to future generations.
The festival also hosted the promotional event for the film Bala Goriya, based on a revered deity of Uttarakhand. Producer Manoj Chandola and associate Kamal Mathpal were present.
On the seventh day, the Mahaparishad presented three literary and cultural honours: the Shivani (Gaura Pant) Memorial Award 2026 to Dr Karuna Pandey, the Keshav Anuragi Memorial Award 2026 to Jagat Singh Dhapola, and the Vanshidhar Pathak Jigyasu Memorial Award 2026 to T.S. Manral.
A free dental health camp was organised by dentist Dr Pooja Sanwal, who provided consultations and distributed medicines among visitors.
A traditional Nimbu Saanan, a spicy winter delicacy of Uttarakhand, competition was also organised, with 16 women participating. Sunita Kanwal secured first place, followed by Pushpa Rana in second place, Tanu Sanwal in third and Saroj Khulbe in fourth. All participants received consolation prizes. The competition was organised under the leadership of Puran Joshi, with Sunil Upreti and Kailash Singh coordinating the event. The jury comprised Hayat Singh Rawat, Janki Joshi, Mukul Pant and Bharti Pandey, while Dr Neema Pant attended as special guest.
The cultural programme, which began at 4 pm, featured Pahari dialect presentations, solo folk songs, traditional dances, Kumaoni performances and Chholiya dance. Artists and groups included Trisha Rawat, Yupika Tiwari, Aaradhya Adhikari, Aarohi, Lok Sanskriti Foundation, Preeti Negi, Devisha, Priyanshi Pathak, Pallavi Joshi, Arts and Cultural Society led by Kamana Bisht, and Nritya Pravah Dance Academy.
From 6 pm onwards, traditional Jhora dance performances were presented by groups from Raj Vihar Colony, led by Hema Adhikari, and Kanhaiya Nagar, led by Radha Bora. The Jhora competition featured teams from Bajrang Nagar, Sugamau, Brahma Kamal Cultural and Social Committee of Indira Nagar Extension, and Takrohi. A separate men’s Jhora competition was also held, with a team led by Uttam Singh Bisht participating.
The star attraction of the evening was a devotional Jagar performance by renowned Uttarakhand singer Bhagwati Danpuriya. Her rendition dedicated to Lord Ganganath captivated the audience with its traditional devotional style.
The festival’s talent competitions also progressed to their second rounds. In Nachega Bharat – Season 3, two teams led by Aaradhya Srivastava of Rajkala Cultural Institution and Reena Srivastava of Nritya Dance Academy advanced after securing at least 60 per cent marks in the first round.
Similarly, three teams qualified for the second round of Dance Uttarakhand Dance – Season 5. They were led by Reema Vangi of Devbhoomi Jan Sarokar Samiti, Gomti Nagar; Mahendra Singh Gailakoti and Ashu Raturi of Uttarakhand Mahaparishad Rangmandal; and Deepti Bora of Jai Badri Vishal, Kalyanpur. Collective Chhapeli performances by the participating teams introduced younger audiences to traditional folk dance forms.
The second round of Voice of Uttarakhand also featured solo performances by singers Reema Vangi, Pankaj Vangi and Deepak Parwal, who had qualified after securing at least 60 per cent marks in the preliminary round.
The Mahaparishad announced that the next day’s programme would begin at 2 pm with a musical chairs competition, followed by Chholiya dance, folk songs, devotional dances, Kumaoni folk music, tabla performances, Hanuman Chalisa recitation, Bharatanatyam and Pahari fusion presentations from 4 pm.
The evening session, starting at 6 pm, will feature Uttarakhand singer Neeraj Chufal, women’s and men’s Jhora competitions, the next rounds of Nachega Bharat and Dance Uttarakhand Dance, collective Chhapeli performances, Voice of Uttarakhand and cultural presentations by artists from Uttarakhand’s Culture Department, Dehradun.
Mahaparishad office-bearers and members, including convener Diwan Singh Adhikari, president Harish Chandra Pant, general secretary Bharat Singh Bisht, secretaries Rajesh Bisht and Mangal Singh Rawat, Puran Singh Jeena, Mahendra Gailakoti, Bhuvan Patwal, Ramesh Chandra Singh Adhikari, Suresh Pandey, Madan Singh Bisht, Suresh Joshi, Bhuvan Pathak and Pan Singh, were present.
Media in-charge Rajendra Singh Kanwal said the festival continued to attract visitors through its combination of traditional performances, local products and community activities.
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