Sonepur: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar visited the world-famous Harihar Kshetra Sonepur Fair on Sunday, making his first appearance there in 20 years. His visit created excitement among visitors and stall owners, as many did not expect the Chief Minister to return to the fair after such a long time. Nitish Kumar had last visited the Sonepur Fair in 2005, shortly after he became Chief Minister for the first time.
During his visit, Nitish Kumar took a detailed round of major exhibitions. He first inspected the Art and Craft Village, which has been built by Bihar Tourism in cooperation with the Saran District Administration. This village has become one of the most popular attractions of the fair because of its hand-made products, bamboo items and traditional artworks. The Chief Minister spent a long time at the stalls and gathered information about how local artists are being supported.
Nitish Kumar was given a warm welcome at the Arts and Crafts section where NDA workers honoured him with a shawl. He then visited the stall of the Bamboo Art Centre and asked about how bamboo products are made and sold. He also visited the Women and Child Development Corporation stall and viewed the Gram Shri exhibition. The Chief Minister tasted traditional Bihari cuisine at the Jeevika Didi food stall and appreciated the efforts of women’s self-help groups in promoting local flavours.
Security arrangements were kept very tight before Nitish Kumar’s arrival. Dog squads and metal detectors were used to check the entire area to make sure everything was safe. After inspecting the Art and Craft Village, the Chief Minister moved to the Disaster Management Department exhibition, where he gathered information on flood safety, precautions for domestic gas accidents, and other disaster-related topics.
Several key officials accompanied him, including Building Construction Minister Ashok Choudhary, Saran Commissioner Rajeev, District Magistrate Aman Sameer, Superintendent of Police Dr Kumar Ashish, Patna SSP Kartikeya Sharma and Patna Municipal Commissioner Dr Chandrashekhar Singh. After finishing his tour, the Chief Minister returned to Patna.
Nitish Kumar’s visit is being viewed as a strong message of support for Bihar’s cultural identity and traditional fairs. Many stall owners and visitors expressed happiness, saying the Chief Minister’s presence after 20 years would boost the image of the Sonepur Fair and attract more tourists in the coming days.
