3-day Rajgir fest to open on November 26

Biharsharif: The internationally acclaimed Rajgir Mahotsav has been rescheduled from December to November this year.
"Chief minister Nitish Kumar is likely to open the three-day mega event at Rajgir's Qila Maidan, situated at the foot of picturesque Ratnagiri hills on November 26," said Nalanda DM Thiyagrajan SM on Thursday. Earlier, it used to be organized between December 28 and 30.
Before the Rajgir Mahotsav, the CM is also likely to inaugurate 'Rajgir Mahotsav App' during his Pawapuri visit on Friday. The App has been designed to view the various events of the festival from anywhere on smart phones.
On the performance of Pakistani artists at the festival, a Bihar State Tourism Development Corporation (BSTDC) official on the condition of anonymity said ,
"Keeping the prevailing circumstances in view, it is unlikely that artists from Pakistan will perform this year but artists from other SAARC countries have confirmed their participation."
A musical troupe from Pakistan, along with artists from other SAARC countries including Sri Lanka, Bhutan and Nepal had performed last year in this festival.
Started as 'Rajgir Nritya Mahotsav' by the then Union tourism minister HKL Bhagat and the then chief minister Bindeshwari Dubey at the Sone Bhandar area in 1986, it remained a low profile event, mostly attended by officials and a handful of visitors till it was shifted to the sprawling Qila Maidan in 2011 by the then Nalanda district magistrate Sanjay Kumar Agrawal.
The DM had then taken initiative at the behest of CM Nitish Kumar.
With the change of venue and some added colours, the footfall of domestic and overseas visitors turned from a few hundreds to several hundred thousands. It became a cultural fest aimed at highlighting the cultural ethos of the country.