Janmashtami charm pulls thousands to Nurpur fest

The fourth two-day state-level Janmashtami Festival concluded at the historic Brijraj Swami Temple here on Saturday night.

Thousands of devotees from far and wide thronged the temple during the celebration to pay obeisance.

The fair was opened by Agriculture Minister Chander Kumar on Friday evening, with Kumar leading a ‘shobha yatra’ from the Chogan ground here to the temple premises.

The concluding ceremony was presided over by Fatehpur MLA and state Planning Commission Vice-Chairman Bhiwani Singh Pathania.

Pathania, as the chief guest, greeted devotees and lit the ceremonial lamp.

He said such fairs and festivals were testimony to rich cultural heritage, communal harmony and social bonds.

Bollywood singer Gagan Singh, and Anuj Sharma — of Indian Idol fame — enthralled the audience at the festival’s cultural night, receiving rousing applauses.

The duo regaled the five-thousand-person jubilant crowd with Bollywood and Punjabi songs.

Himachali folk singer Ishant Bhardwaj, who has over 2.65 crore YouTube viewers, and his cultural troupe, through their performance, paid homage to Pahadi culture and heritage, much to the audience’s delight. During the cultural night, Nurpur SDM Arun Sharma honoured the chief guest and special guests with shawls and idols of Lord Krishna.

He thanked the government departments concerned, the temple management committee and area residents for the conduct of the event.

The Brijraj Swami temple management committee honoured guests and artistes with ‘siropas’ and portraits of Brijraj Swami temple idols.