Lucknow: Traditional folk dances, music and cultural performances marked the fourth day of the 14-day Uttarakhand Mahotsav 2026 at Pandit Govind Ballabh Pant Parvatiya Sanskritik Upvan along the Gomti river on Thursday.
Organised by the Uttarakhand Mahaparishad, the festival witnessed enthusiastic participation by folk artists, cultural groups and young performers. Traditional Chholiya dance performances, colourful stalls and a specially decorated stage remained major attractions throughout the day.
Lucknow Divisional Commissioner Vijay Vishwas Pant and Uttar Pradesh Mandi Parishad Director Jitendra Pratap Singh inaugurated the day’s programme by lighting the ceremonial lamp. Mahaparishad convenor Diwan Singh Adhikari, president Harish Chandra Pant, general secretary Bharat Singh Bisht and senior vice-president Mangal Singh Rawat were among those present.
On the occasion, Vijay Vishwas Pant presented the Sumitranandan Pant Memorial Award 2026 to Ghananand Pandey Megh for his contribution to literature and the Gopal Babu Goswami Memorial Award 2026 to Darshan Singh Parihar for his work in music.
Pant congratulated the Mahaparishad for organising the festival and said such events help preserve cultural heritage, promote brotherhood and bring people together. Jitendra Pratap Singh appreciated the organisation’s efforts to provide a platform to folk artists, adding that cultural programmes help younger generations remain connected with their traditions.
Army recruitment guidance and health camp
A special Indian Army recruitment guidance stall was set up at the festival to provide information about the Agniveer recruitment scheme. Established by the Army Recruiting Headquarters at the request of the Mahaparishad, the stall is informing young aspirants about eligibility, educational qualifications, age limits, physical standards, selection procedures and required documents.
A free health camp has also been organised by KK Hospital, offering health check-ups, blood sugar and blood pressure tests, along with medicines for those in need, said Mahaparishad media in-charge Rajendra Singh Kanwal.
Discussion on yoga and wellness
An interactive session on yoga, meditation, health and wellness was held in the afternoon under the supervision of Mahaparishad women’s wing president Pushpa Vaishnav and senior vice-president Sunita Kanwal.
Poonam Arya, Dr Sangeeta Gupta, Seema Sharma, Soumya Awasthi, Mandavi Yadav, Yashoda Sharma and Shravan Gupta shared information about the benefits of yoga and healthy living.
The cultural programme featured a Chholiya dance performance by the Udanchal Kala Kendra troupe from Almora, which participated with the support of the Culture Department, Dehradun. Artists performed traditional dance movements accompanied by folk instruments.
The Bhushan Dance Group, directed by Chandra Bhushan Agarwal and Meenakshi Agarwal, presented a group dance with the support of the Uttar Pradesh Information Department. Abhigyan Pratap Singh performed a traditional Uttarakhand folk dance, while Soumya Singh Mehra presented a solo dance. Ananya Bisht impressed the audience with her yoga and gymnastics performance.
Artists from the Ramleela Samiti, Telibagh, led by Rajendra Singh Bisht, also presented cultural performances. Solo and duet dances by Khushi Deupa, Kavya Samant, Aadhya Samant, Surshree Rawat, Prachi Pokhariya, Nabhia Shukla, Medya Pokhariya and Avarita Shukla added to the celebrations.
Jhora and Chhapeli performances draw crowds
The evening programme gained momentum with traditional Jhora performances led by Radha Bora, followed by a women’s Jhora dance competition featuring five teams.
The participating groups represented Kurmanchal Nagar, led by Renu Kandpal; Sangeet Sanskriti Foundation, led by Haritima Pant; Vasundharapuram, led by Sushila Negi; Ramleela Samiti Telibagh, led by Rajendra Singh Bisht; and Uttarakhand Mahaparishad, led by Pushpa Gailakoti and Pushpa Vaishnav.
Their performances to traditional folk songs presented the collective spirit and cultural traditions of Uttarakhand.
Under the ‘Voice of Uttarakhand’ programme, Prachi Rawat, Pavani Bajetha and Khushi Rawat presented solo songs and group Chhapeli dances.
The third season of ‘Nachega Bharat’ featured four teams from Kurmanchal Nagar, Nritya Dance Academy, Devbhoomi Vrindavan Sanskritik Samiti and Anshika Dance Institute.
The fifth season of ‘Dance Uttarakhand Dance’ featured performances by Kutumb Group Mayapuri, Devbhoomi Kalakriti Telibagh and Brahma Kamal Sanskritik Evam Samajik Samiti, Indira Nagar Extension. Their group Chhapeli performances highlighted the folk traditions of Kumaon.
Popular singer Chandan Mehra to perform on Friday
The fifth day of the festival on Friday will feature a solo singing competition from 2 pm, followed by Chholiya dance, performances by Aarambh Dance Academy Dehradun, Saraswati Vandana, Kathak Tarana and karaoke singing by around 10 singers.
The evening programme will include general Jhora performances, cultural presentations by artists from the Culture Department, Dehradun, and a five-team women’s Jhora competition.
Popular Uttarakhand singer Chandan Mehra will perform during the star night. A men’s Jhora competition featuring the Ramleela Samiti Telibagh team is also scheduled.
The programme will further include solo singing and group Chhapeli under ‘Voice of Uttarakhand’, a Mayur folk dance performance by Khushi Mayur from Agra with the support of the Uttar Pradesh Culture Department, four teams from ‘Nachega Bharat Season 3’ and two teams from ‘Dance Uttarakhand Dance Season 5’.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?si=RtToJsBhYBatUrym&v=mOuYNSdhjHA&feature=youtu.be
