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Rajgir Dance Festival is held at Rajgir, the ancient capital of the Magadha kings. Department of Tourism, Bihar organises every year, this vibrant festival of classical and folk dances at Rajgir - the land where the Buddha meditated and preached, from October 24 to October 26.
Holding a sterling position in the Indian Cultural Calendar, Rajgir Mahotsav is the ultimate destination for the connoisseurs of Indian cultural form of expression of the self. Be it instrumental music, devotional songs, opera, folk dance, ballet or the many schools of classical dance and music, geniuses in their own realms of accomplishments, create an almost ethereal atmosphere to electrify true devotees.
In the past, some of the great artists who have performed at the festival are Sonal Man Singh, Hema Malini, Sanyukta Panigrahi, Nalini-Kamalini, Swapna Sundari, Shovna Narayan, Madhukar Anand, Madhumita Roy, Amita Dutta, Mukund Nayak, Madhavi Mudgal, Leela Samson and Anand Shankar. The sanctity of Rajgir is aptly acclaimed by the performance of such respected artistes, who, in their humility, feel blessed by this land of the holy.
History
Rajgir Mahotsav, previously known as the RajgirNrityaMahotsav, is a festival of dance and music or it can also be referred to as the annual cultural fest of Bihar. The festival marks its beginning in the year 1986,and it is a three-day occasion of Rajgir in Bihar. The festival is usually organized by Nalanda district administration along with the support and aid of Bihar Government’s Department of Culture and Bihar State Tourism Development Corporation. The dance festival is majestic and gala celebration of classical and folk dances and classical music. People from all parts of the state participate in this Mahotsav with huge interest and zeal. The whole event is generally conducted in the month of October and that too in the end week of October.
The Chief Minister of Bihar in 1986, Mr.BindeshwariDubey, had inaugurated this festival and marked its commencement in the SwarnaBhadar area of Rajgir on 4thApril 1986. The Department of Tourism in Bihar had funded and organized the festival till 1989,but the event had to be postponed and neglected due to some political reasons. Thus, the celebration of Rajgir festival was stopped for a while. But then a few years later, in 1994, the festival was restarted after the unknown reasons were solved. From 1994, the festival is being conducted every year in Bihar by the Bihar Government and has gained huge popularity among the people of India.
How to reach Rajgir :
By Air: The closest air terminal is at Patna 101 km. Indian Airlines interface Patna to Calcutta, Bombay, Delhi, Ranchi and Lucknow.
By Rail: Though Rajgir itself has a railroad station yet the closest advantageous railhead is at Gaya 78 km.
By Road: Rajgir is associated with street to Patna – 110 km, Nalanda – 12 km, Gaya – 78 km, Pawapuri – 38 km, Bihar Sharif – 25 km and so on. Customary transports are accessible from all the above focuses on Rajgir.
Bihar has a long list of celebrations. These fair and festivals are divided into two parts, seasonal and permanent. Seasonal fairs are those which are held in the particular season and the time of such fairs is determined by the lunar calendar, whereas permanent fairs those which are held throughout the year once or twice a week. Seasonal fairs are basically religious in character, whereas permanent fairs are commercial in its composition. Bihar has a tradition of festivals from time immemorial .Bihar as an ancient land has a long list of festivals and fairs which the people of Bihar actively take part in. The most famous festival of Bihar is Chatth Puja. Festivals always break the monotony of day-to-day life and inspire us to promote love and brotherhood and to work for the upliftment of the society. Observed mostly by the people of North Bihar, this puja is devoted for the worship of the Sun God. The other main festivals of Bihar include Kartik Purnima, Holi, Dussehra, Deepavali, Saraswati Puja, Bhaiya Dooj etc.
