It started off as a festival to promote tourism in the state capital and offering the best to the Lucknowites.

But the annual Lucknow Mahotsav, held between November 25 and December 5, is fighting for its life.

For the last nine years, the 23-year-old festival finds itself in a new venue every time, taking it further away from the city and its residents.

Inevitably, the footfalls are dropping.

Last year, the festival was organised at a remote corner — Smriti Upvan near Bijli Pasi fort in Aashiana area — which did not have proper transport facilities. In 2006 and 2007, the venue was the remote Rama Bai Rally Sthal near Bangla Bazaar.

Shyam Singh (65), a resident of Nishatganj who decided to give the Mahotsav a miss last year, said: “For the past two decades, my wife and I were regulars. For me, the cultural evenings were a big pull and she shopped for handicrafts. But last year, the venue was nearly 20 kms from our home and there was no proper transport. So we decided to give the festival a miss.”

Ramesh Mishra, a former state employee who worked with the fair management and has been a regular for 10 years after he retired, said the change in venue certainly affects the crowd.

“In the last nine years, we have seen four venues,” he said. “And as the mahotsav gets away from the city, it affects ticket sales. It may try to match the Surajkund fair or Agra’s Taj Mahotsav, but these fairs have a permanent venue, which the Lucknow Mahotsav also needs.”

... contd.