Lucknow: The colours, sounds and flavours of the season came alive in the city on Sunday as Lucknow Bioscope, Sanatkada and Naimatkhana hosted ‘Sawan Ki Bahaar’, a day-long celebration dedicated to Awadh’s rich monsoon traditions.The event brought together crafts, music, storytelling and seasonal cuisine, recreating a cultural landscape in which the arrival of rains shaped not only the natural surroundings but also the rhythm of everyday life. Mehndi, flowers, colourful adornments, folk songs and festive foods, all deeply associated with ‘Sawan’ in Awadh, formed the core of the celebration and highlighted the region’s intimate connection with the season.Visitors were introduced to traditional craft practices through demonstrations on ‘leheriya’ dupattas and ‘phoolon ke zewar’. The vibrant dupattas evoked memories of afternoons in old Lucknow’s joint families, when women would gather to dye ‘chunnis’, experiment with patterns and embellish them with ‘gota’, ‘kamdani’ and ‘fardi’. The floral jewellery stall too drew attention, especially among young visitors who picked up wrist ‘gajra’ and other seasonal adornments.“Sawan is not merely a season in Awadh; it is a feeling, a memory and a shared cultural language. Through Sawan Ki Bahaar, we wanted to bring those living traditions back into the heart of everyday celebration,” said Madhavi Kuckreja, founder of Sanatkada.The festive mood was visible through the day as girls got intricate henna designs applied and visitors explored the craft and food offerings. Friends Amna Khan and Rateesha Talwar said, “It feels like stepping into a beautiful old Lucknow full of colour, music and little traditions we want to experience ourselves.”The evening programme featured ‘Jhoola Kinne Daara: Songs and Stories of the Monsoon’ by Dholak Rani, which blended folk music, storytelling and classical influences. The repertoire included ‘Jhir Jhir’, ‘Saawan Ki Ghir Aayi’ and ‘Jhoola Kinne Daara’, drawing on ragas such as Jhinjhoti, Khamaj, Bageshri and Des.At Naimatkhana, a special Sawan menu added to the monsoon experience. The spread included baigan chokha with bajre ki tikiya, kaddu aur poori, arvi ke patre, paneer palak, birhai aur achaar and sheer qorma.