Binay Singh
Varanasi: The three-day debut cultural show – ‘Mahashivrati Mahotsava’, a beautiful fusion of spirituality and music, was followed by a ‘Boat Festival’ in the stream of Ganga on Sunday.
While the cultural events were held at Rajghat from February 20 to 22, the boat fest (race) was organized between Ravidas Ghat to Rajendra Prasad Ghat. A total of 40 manually sailed boats took part in the fest. The race of beautifully decorated boats began from the Ravidas Ghat.
It was not merely a boat race but a well-crafted parade on water displaying the rich traditions, arts and crafts of the millennia old city. The Geographical Indication (GI) tagged products and artifacts like wooden toys, Banarasi silk fabrics, and other crafts of Varanasi and adjoining districts were also put on the display on the boat.
The first three winners were given cash prizes of Rs 25,000, Rs 15,000 and Rs 10,000, while a consolation prize of Rs. 2,000 was also given to each participant. A march past of decorated and hand painted boats in the Ganga was also held in front of Rajendra Prasad Ghat.
