Patna: The Bihar government is going to celebrate the 160th Vijayotsava or martyrdom day of Veer Kuer Singh with full fervour across the state from April 23 to 25.

The main celebrations will be held at Patna and the freedom fighter's hometown Jagdishpur in Bhojpur district.

Chief minister Nitish Kumar had said last year that Bihar's role in the freedom movement has been ignored and had stressed on the need to spread awareness about Kuer Singh's role in it.

He had also announced massive celebrations to mark the Vijayotsava.

Kuer Singh, the ruler of a small principality at Jagdishpur, participated in the First War of Independence in 1857, dealt several defeats to the British and liberated vast stretches in western Bihar and eastern Uttar Pradesh. He died undefeated in 1858.

"The three-day celebrations this year will begin with the chief minister garlanding Kuer Singh's statue at Veer Kunwar Singh Park in Patna on April 23 morning. He will also unveil 15 terracotta murals on the occasion," art, culture and youth minister Krishna Kumar Rishi said.

Art, culture and youth department principal secretary Chaitanya Prasad was also present on the occasion.

The Kuer Singh's statue at R-Block in Patna will be permanently shifted to the park for the purpose.

Rishi added that, on the same day, Nitish will welcome a procession and tableau on Kuer Singh at Jagdishpur Qila Maidan. He will also inaugurate a painting gallery at Kunwar Singh Memorial Museum there. Paintings for this will be made at a workshop organised at Bihar Museum in Patna.

An exhibition of arms used during those times will also be held at Jagdishpur and copies of documents related to Kuer Singh will be showcased to the public. Nitish will also unveil 15 more murals related to the freedom warrior's life at the Qila Maidan.

All the 30 terracotta murals, which are of 8ft x 5ft are being made by a group of 15 artists at Upendra Maharathi Shilp Anusandhan Sansthan in Patna. Various cultural programmes, sports, games and cultural programmes will be held at Jagdishpur on the three festive days.

The chief minister will return to Patna on April 23 from Jagdishpur and inaugurate a three-day cultural programme at Sri Krishna Memorial Hall in Patna at which eminent singers and musicians are expected to participate. On the same day, Nitish will launch a laser show at the Veer Kunwar Singh Park.

"The grand finale of the three-day celebrations will be with a national convention on Kuer Singh on April 25 at Bapu Sabhagar in Patna. The chief minister will inaugurate it," Rishi added.

This is the first time that Kuer Singh's Vijayotsava is being celebrated on such a grand scale in the state. On whether it was an attempt to woo the Rajput caste prior to the Lok Sabha elections scheduled next year, Rishi said: "Everything should not be looked through political lens. Kuer Singh was among the foremost freedom fighters from Bihar and is still revered among the masses."