Kolkata, March 7 (IANS) Visva-Bharati University will not hold its traditional Basantotsav (spring festival) celebrations on March 9 in view of the coronavirus scare, an official said on Saturday.

Nobel laureate poet Rabindranath Tagore had started Basantotsav on the day of Dol Jatra (as festival of colours is called in Bengal) in the Visva-Bharati university founded by him. Over the decades, the festival has become the biggest annual event of the institution and attracts thousands of people from various parts of India and abroad.

The Visva-Bharati authorities decided not to hold the festival for the 'time being' in view of a University Grants Commission advisory asking varsities not to hold mass gatherings as a preventive measure against a possible coronavirus outbreak.

"Basantotsav has been cancelled this year in view of the UGC directive. We cannot afford to take a risk," said the official.

--IANS ssp/rt