Heritage walks, folk performances showcase Awadh’s rich heritage

Lucknow: Heritage walks across Hazratganj and the Lucknow Residency, alongside a symposium and live folk performances to showcase and preserve Awadh’s tangible and intangible cultural heritage were the highlights of the World Heritage Day celebrations on Saturday.To mark the occasion, the Lucknow chapter of INTACH, in collaboration with the Archaeological Survey of India and educational institutions, organised a day-long programme for heritage enthusiasts.The programme began with a heritage walk through Hazratganj, curated by heritage expert AK Srivastava for the students of Jagriti Loreto School.The walk commenced at Sibtainabad Imambara and traced the historic ‘Ganj’ precinct, covering landmarks like Kothi Noor Baksh, Tareywali Kothi, Kankar Wali Kothi and the Delhi & London Bank, along with the DRM office of Northern Railway and key sites linked to the Uprising of 1857.A second heritage walk was held at the Lucknow Residency in collaboration with ASI’s Lucknow circle, where participants explored the site’s history and architecture.The celebrations culminated in a symposium titled ‘Avadh’s Intangible Cultural Heritage: Folk Traditions, Performing Arts, Literature and Songs’, jointly organised with Avadh Girls’ Degree College. The event featured two panel discussions focusing on folk theatre and traditions of Awadh.The first session, on ‘Folk Theatre of Awadh’, saw participation from theatre personalities Surya Mohan Kulshreshtha, Gopal Sinha, Lalit Pokhariya and Prafulla Tripathi, who highlighted the region’s rich theatrical legacy and stressed the need for documentation, revival and institutional support.The second panel, ‘Folk Traditions of Awadh: Tradition and Identity’, included Vidya Bindu Singh and Vineeta Mishra, who discussed the importance of preserving Awadhi language and oral traditions.A special segment showcased the ‘Mirasins’, traditional women performers who preserve folk songs associated with weddings, childbirth and other social occasions.Artistes Imrana, Rafiya Khatoon, Rubina and Farzana presented live performances.