Lucknow: The 163rd foundation day of the historic Kali Bari Temple at Ghasiyari Mandi turned into a cultural evening blending Bollywood music, Bengali performances and devotional observances on Sunday.The programme opened with playback singer Vinod Rathod making a dramatic entry dressed in the look of Sanjay Dutt’s “Khalnayak” character and performing “Nayak Nahin, Khalnayak Hoon Main.” Soon after, Rathod shifted from the theatrical start to a personal note, telling the gathering that Lucknow was his favourite city.Rathod then led the audience through a set of popular 1990s film songs, including “Aisi Deewanagi,” “Koi Na Koi Chahiye,” “Dholi Taro Dhol Baje,” and “Chalak Chalak.” The performance drew sustained applause, with many in the audience singing along and swaying to the music.The event took a Bengali cultural turn with National Award-winning actor Rituparna Sengupta joining Rathod on stage. She began with a devotional invocation to Goddess Kali before moving into Bengali folk elements and a dance tribute to legendary actor Uttam Kumar. In another highlight, Sengupta presented the national anthem in Bengali, prompting an enthusiastic response from the audience.“Kali Bari is where devotion, culture and art beautifully come together. I feel blessed to perform here and seek the grace of Goddess Kali,” Sengupta said.Temple managing committee president Gautam Bhattacharya said the annual foundation-day programme had grown into a major cultural occasion while keeping the temple’s spiritual heritage at its core. Additional chief secretary Mukesh Meshram, Board of Trustees chairman Abhijit Sarkar, temple office-bearers and members of the Bengali community attended.
