Ghazal singer Ghulam Ali who had performed at a music soirée during Durga Puja in Patna in 1998. Telegraph picture

Patna, Sept. 30: Several state capital residents hop from one pandal to another during the four nights of Durga Puja. This year, however, the music connoisseurs among them could make a beeline for Gandhi Maidan.

For, Patna Junction Durga Puja Samiti is set to revive the tradition of nightlong musical soirées that citizens missed for nearly two decades. On October 3 and 4 — Saptami and Ashtami — the longing for dulcet notes would be satiated.

Nayyar Khurshid, the vice-president of the samiti, said: “Programmes could not be organised for many years as the environment of the state was not conducive.”

The samiti last hosted an event in 1991, where ghazal maestro Mehdi Hasan had performed. “But now we can organi se such an event again, thanks to the efforts of the state government,” said Khurshid. The organisers, who claim that their musical festival is the oldest — first organised in 1936, have left no stone unturned to make the treat special. On October 3, chief minister Nitish Kumar would inaugurate the event.

A Mumbai-based group would serve the first course with a performance of light music. Classical vocalist Pushak Lele, who has been trained in the Kumar Gandharva tradition, would also perform. Kathak performer Shovana Narayan would perform a ballet accompanied by Ustad Sabir Khan. Violinist Sangeeta Shanker would commence her performance around 4am.

After her performance, the music lovers would return home to catch up on sleep with an eagerness to return the next day. Lele, Narayan and Khan would perform again through the night. At dawn, the audience would be treated to a musical jugalbandi in which Versha Agarwal would play the santoor, while Asit Goswami and Pandit Lalit Mahant will perform on the sitar and the tabla, respectively.

Residents of the state capital are excited by the prospect of the musical treats that await them. Many of them remember how the organisers of Pujas at Gandhi Maidan, Langar Toli and Govind Mitra Road used to host famous musicians and performers. The tradition, however, gradually fizzled out. A source said Bharat Mata Mandali at Langar Toli had hosted a musical event for the last time in 1998. Ghulam Ali and Pandit Kishan Maharaj had performed. Citizens are, however, hopeful that though it might be impossible to reclaim those magical nights when they used to hop from one soirée to another, a little of the thrill would be conjured this year at Gandhi Maidan.