Hema Malini and Shatrughan Sinha share a light moment with chief minister Nitish Kumar and his deputy Sushil Kumar Modi during Bihar Divas celebration in Patna on Friday. Picture by Deepak Kumar

As the heat abated and bright lights came on at Gandhi Maidan, the drab mood on the second day of Bihar Divas underwent a remarkable metamorphosis and turned into a fun-filled experience.

The laser lights worked their magic and the cultural events exorcised the tedium of the day. There were laughter and celebrations all around.

Vikram Kumar Singh, a student of Magadh University who came to Gandhi Maidan on Friday evening, told The Telegraph: “I have come here for the musical performances. I hope they are good.”

As the visitors waited for the musical events to begin, they were treated to a dazzling laser show depicting the history of Bihar.

The bright lights traced the Freedom Movement and contributions of famous people from Bihar like Rajendra Prasad and Jaiprakash Narayan. The audience were also informed about various government schemes.

Not everything began on a bright and light note though. Few visitors turned up at the fair at the Gandhi Maidan on Thursday morning. Those who did come found the arrangements a little too dull. The food available was not to their liking either.

Nageshwar Prasad, one of the visitors to Vyanjan Mela — the food court, complained that the dishes on offer were expensive.

“At the Hyderabad stall, chicken biryani is priced at Rs 100. At most good restaurants in Patna, you can have a plate for Rs 80. The looks of the cook and the stall does not inspire confidence either,” said Prasad.

Other complained that local cuisine that was supposed to be the highlight of the mela was not available.

“We have come to the food court to sample local food, like puwa and fish curry from Mithilanchal, which are not available outside. But snacks, like litti-chokha, can easily be purchased at Mauryalok Complex as well,” said Anjana, a student.

The food was not the only unpalatable thing at the fest.

Chandan Kumar, another student, said: “We are celebrating the centenary of the state but there is no stall to provide information about how Bihar was carved out of the Bengal Presidency in 1912. There is no information about Dr Sachidananand Sinha, who played a major role in the formation of the state.”

The organisers, too, did not seem too enthusiastic about informing the people about the heritage of the state. For instance, the education department has set up a stall to screen documentaries on the culture and history of Bihar but when The Telegraph visited the stall, few people were present there. Most of the visitors were relaxing rather than watching the film on Mithilanchal.

Also, apart from a few technicians, there was no one from the education department to disseminate information to the visitors. The Telegraph tried to get in touch with the organisers but they were not available for comment.

After sundown, however, the scene changed considerably, as more people started to pour in for the laser shows and the cultural programmes.

Parking continued to be a headache for the visitors.

Aman Kumar, a visitor, said: “There is only one entrance and it is difficult to enter the main venue. Moreover, there is no proper parking facility anywhere close to the venue.”

Most problems, however, were forgotten once the cultural events started.