Bollywood stars to rock during Ardh Kumbh Mela

Allahabad, Jan 3 (UNI) Versatile singers Sonu Nigam and Sunidhi Chauhan are some of the known Bollywood personalities likley to add their charm to the millennium's first Ardh Kumbh Mela, a sea of spirituality and religion.

The month-long Ardh Kumbh, arguably the largest religious tempest in the world, will have a fair presence of Bollywood stars who would perform on different days during the mela.

The tent city would appear no less than tinsel town, when these stars lend their resplendence to this unparalleled religious congregation. Sectors nine and seven, the cultural sectors of the Mela area, would be the centre of attraction.

On January 15, undisputed king of ghazal Jagjit Singh would enthrall audience with his popular 'bhajan' 'Hey Ram... Hey Ram...', which would bring a welcome respite from the raucous Bhangra dhols and the inanity of Indipop. The entire sector 7, would fill with echoes ghazal king's silken voice, when the singer would sing his popular of bhajans from hit albumbs 'Maa', 'Hare Krishna', 'Ichhabal' and also 'Man Jeetai Jagjeet' in Punjabi.

Choosing the occasion, which is likley to attrract about 900 million of devotees from all over the country and abroad as well, the Allahabad district administration has also decided to launch an intensive AIDS awareness camapign.

Targeting the volume of population expected to flock the Ardh Kumbh Mela, the AIDS awareness 'Bindas Bol Condom' campaign, already seen on television channels, would be used here, the Allahabad District Magistrate Amrit Abhijat told UNI.

The state AIDS Control Society had been asked to provide Rs 29 lakh for the campaign.''Out of this amount, Rs ten lakh would be spent on the cultural programmes which included performances by Sonu Nigam and Sunidhi Chauhan,''the Mela Administartion sources said.

It would be an innovative way to spread the message of AIDS awareness through celebrity performers , Mr Abhijat said.

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