Alka Yagnik mesmerizes audience at Rajgir fest

RAJGIR (NALANDA): Everyone in Rajgir, old and young, students and professionals, tourists and locals, shopkeepers and vendors were all seen in a hurry as they wanted to reach the Qila Maidan, the venue of the prestigious Rajgir Festival, as early as possible to occupy prime space on the second day of the festival on Wednesday evening to listen to the singing sensation Alka Yagnik from a closer distance.Much before the programme began around 7.30 pm in the makeshift shamiana with hundreds of seats occupied, a greater number of spectators firmly took position in the open unmindful of the cold.
As their loved singer appeared on the stage with her popular numbers ‘Tum paas aaye, yoon muskraye… kuch kuch hota hai’, ‘Ghazab ka hai din, kisi din unse mulakat hogi, Lal dupatta’ , etc the large crowd cheered, whistled, danced and clapped throughout her performance which lasted late in the night. ‘Ek hasina se yoon mulaqat ho gayee’ a hit song of Kishore Kumar presented by Chetan Rana was also responded cheerfully by the crowd.
Minister of tourism Sunil Kumar Pintu was so overwhelmed by the song ‘De denge apni jaan, magar Kashmir nahin denge’ sung by Ajit Bhaiya from Hazaribag that he announced a cash reward of Rs11,000 and gave him a memento and certificate.
Earlier in the day, Nalanda DM Sanjay Kumar Agarwal, University of Nalanda VC Gopa Sabarwal, Hilsa MLA Usha Singh and others jointly inaugurated the Mahila Mahotsava on the sprawling campus as a symbol of women’s empowerment in which hundreds of women from different self-help groups exhibited their products. Gopa Sabarwal termed this exclusive women’s festival as wonderful and life enriching experience saying “participation of women here in large number proves that women today are powerful and they can excel in any field, if given a chance.”
Rupa Mukherjee, a student from Kolkata, who is here with her parents for sightseeing, said that Rajgir Mahotsava is a wonderful event where something is available for everyone.” While different rides are arranged for children in the children’s park, mom has many articles to purchase from honey to balm put up in shops from different states,” she said. Anjan Doshi, a businessman from Pune, said, “I liked the food park the best as delicious items like litti choka, and Kalakand are sold there.” His wife, Ami Doshi, purchased pickles. For Fatma, a student from Gaya, menhdi and painting competitions organized here were very exciting. She thanked the department of tourism and district administration for organizing such a wonderful mahotsava which she said would prove a milestone in attracting more tourists from across the world.