In the wake of the stampede in the mela area during the Mauni Amavasya bathing festival, all cultural programmes organised by the state culture department and the Union culture ministry have been cancelled until February 5.
As a result, there will be no cultural presentations in the Ganga Pandal, Yamuna Pandal, and Kalagram until February 5. Additionally, cultural presentations scheduled at various intersections in the city, as well as in the fair area, will also not take place, according to officials familiar with the decision.
This decision has been made at the government level, they added.
According to the scheduled programmes, a dance drama based on the descent of the Ganga to Earth, featuring actress and MP Hema Malini, was set to be held at the Ganga Pandal, which has a capacity of 10,000, on January 31.
Before that, artists Rajni and Gayatri were set to present a Carnatic vocal and violin performance, Maharashtra’s Shama Bhate was scheduled to perform Bharatnatyam, and West Bengal’s Tarun was to deliver a Santoor recital. Similarly, on February 1, Hindustani music by Soma Ghosh of West Bengal, Mohiniyattam by Deepti Omcheri Bhalla of Delhi, and devotional and folk singing by Iman Chakraborty were to be featured.
Kamlesh Pathak, programme executive of the UP culture department and in-charge of the Ganga Pandal at the mela tent city, said that following the massive crowd gathering at the fair after the incident on Mauni Amavasya, the state government issued instructions on January 30 evening to cancel all cultural programmes.
Cultural programmes will now be held in all pandals after February 5, he added.
Subhash Yadav, nodal officer for cultural events at Mahakumbh Mela, mentioned that efforts will be made to reschedule performances from artists whose programmes were postponed.