HT Correspondent
SIVASAGAR, Feb 24: The Maha-Shivaratri Puja and the grand Shivaratri Mela at the Shiva Doul (temple) in Sivasagar will be inaugurated by chief minister, Himanta Biswa Sharma.
The historical Shivaratri Mela is held every year inside the Shiva Doul on the occasion of Maha-Shivaratri. This year the mela will take place from March 4 to 9.
Addressing the media inside the temple premises on Saturday, Basanta Gogoi, secretary of the Doul Unnayan Committee said that the inaugural ceremony on March 4 will be attended among others by state revenue and disaster management minister Jogen Mohan, Jorhat MP Topon Kumar Gogoi, Rajya Sabha MP Pabitra Margherita and Sivasagar MLA Akhil Gogoi.
“Chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma will release the souvenir ‘Muktinath’ while the Bhaona ‘Nrihingha Avatar’ will be inaugurated by Mayur Borgohain, president of the Tai Ahom Development Council. Soumira Pujari will inaugurate the Bahona ‘Morit Rajor Suvarna Mrigalav’ on the evening of March 5 after the Siva-vandana,” said Basanta Gogoi.
The devotional songs and other cultural programmes will be held on March 6 and 7. Lokgeet will be presented by Lalon Konwar and Biplov Konwar on March 8. On March 9, the cultural evening will be inaugurated by state water resource minister Piyush Hazarika. Noted singer Abhilipsa Panda will be the star attraction of the cultural evening.
The Doul Unnayan Committee had earlier decided to allocate stalls at an exorbitant price, but due to opposition from different sections, the rates have been reduced.