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Tricity gears up for Dussehra after 2-year muted celebrations
Dussehra will be celebrated at 20-30 major locations in Chandigarh. This is going to be a major celebration as earlier it was a muted affair due to Covid restrictions and cracker ban in 2020 and 2021.
Dussehra will be celebrated at 20-30 major locations in Chandigarh. This is going to be a major celebration as earlier it was a low-key affair due to Covid restrictions and cracker ban in 2020 and 2021.
With a laser show and the tallest Ravana effigy in the city at 90 ft, the Sector 46 Dussehra celebrations are going to take the centre stage. The programme will start from 4 pm onwards while the laser show is likely to start later. The municipal corporation (MC) commissioner will be the chief guest here while the chief engineers of both the MC and the UT administration will be the guests of honour.
The Sector 17 parade ground celebrations like most celebrations of the city will start around 5 pm onwards. The UT adviser will be the chief guest here while celebrations will also be held in Sector 34, 29 and 49 among other places.
Weather may play spoilsport
While the India meteorological department had earlier said there are chances of light rain over the weekend, it has now been shifted from Wednesday onwards and chances of light rain are likely to continue up to Saturday. This is due to a western disturbance which is likely to affect the region even as monsoon withdrawal has been declared in the city.
Mask up, maintain social distancing, residents told
Anticipating huge gatherings during the festivities, the Chandigarh traffic police have advised residents to mask up and maintain social distancing. Residents have been advised to consider walking to nearby markets or destinations instead of using vehicles. To help ease traffic congestion on roads, residents have been asked to consider carpooling and ensure vehicles are efficiently parked in the designated parking lots. People are advised not to park their vehicles in ‘No Parking’ Zones/roads, otherwise, such vehicles shall be towed away/clamped. People are advised not to park/ply their vehicles on cycle tracks/pedestrian pathways.
Traffic restrictions for Sector 17 Parade Ground
In order to de-congest the Parade Ground, Sector 17, where the effigy would be burnt, traffic shall be diverted away from the ISBT, Sector 17 Chowk, on the Udyog Path by diverting traffic coming from 17/18 Light Point, Aroma Light Point, Sector 18/19/20/21 Chowk and Cricket Stadium Chowk for one hour i.e. from 5:30 pm to 6:30 pm. Further, at the time of dispersal of this function, only buses will be allowed to ply on this stretch. The public is requested to use an alternate route during this restriction.
Tight security in place at Panchkula
Meanwhile, barricading has been done at six points around the Parade Ground, Sector 5, Panchkula, where Ravana’s effigy will be burnt. Apart from this, 12 PCR, 24 police riders and 25 quick response teams have been placed to keep a check on criminal activities.
A team of Durga Shakti will be on duty to ensure the security of women. Also, police have advised people to call 112 in case they notice any suspicious activity or person. Alert has been issued to 9 border check posts.
Navratra: Last day sees ₹22.35 lakh in donations
Almost ₹22.35 lakh was donated at three temples, Mata Mansa Devi, Shri Kali Mata Mandir, Kalka, and Chandi Mata Mandir, on the last day of the Navratra.
The Shree Mata Mansa Devi Shrine Board (SMMDSB) said that 27,000 followers visited the Mata Mansa Devi Temple on Navami. Out of the total donations, over ₹16 lakh were donated at Mansa Devi Temple.
Mohali DC issues guidelines for bursting crackers
In the wake of festival season, the district magistrate, SAS Nagar, Amit Talwar on Tuesday has issued guidelines pertaining to the bursting of firecrackers.
Crackers, according to the officials, will be allowed from 6 pm to 7 pm on Dussehra. Meanwhile, on Diwali, fireworks will be permitted from 8 pm to 10 pm.
Similarly, for Gurpurab, firecrackers will be permitted from 4 am to 5 am and in the evening from 9 pm to 10 pm. Apart from this, fireworks will be allowed from 11:55 pm to 12:30 am during Christmas and New Year. These orders will be applicable from October 4 to January 1, 2023. The DC strictly warned against the sale and purchase of Chinese crackers.
Apart from this, the DM stated that the places, at which firecrackers would be sold, would be declared as no smoking zones.
Moreover, government, private hospitals, nursing homes, primary and district health care centres, educational institutions and courts in the district have been declared a ‘silence zone’.
“There will be a complete ban on bursting firecrackers in a 100-metre area around the ‘silence zone’. It is necessary to have a valid licence under the Inflammable Act 1884 and Rules 2008 regarding the sale of firecrackers. Firecrackers will be sold in the district only at designated places,” reads the order of the DM.
In Ambala, eco-friendly Ravana effigy stands tall at 125 ft
Bhavey Nagpal
After a gap of four years due to the pandemic and space constraints, the two-day Dussehra celebration that began on Tuesday with a ‘Sufi Night’ pulled a crowd to the town this year, situated almost 40 km from Ambala.
The Club has used eco-friendly materials worth ₹10 lakh to develop the effigy that has been specially transported from Tamil Nadu’s Sivakasi, the cracker hub of India, while the designing has been managed locally.
The effort for the tallest Ravana has been made by the club headed by a local landowner, Rana Tejinder Singh Chauhan. However, the tradition to burn Ravana on Vijayadashmi here by the club is almost 35 years old.
“We have a Limca book of record for making a 210-feet tall Ravana in Chandigarh in 2017. Though the 221-feet effigy has been our highest, we couldn’t apply for the record due to the lockdown imposed a few months later. This year, it could have been 225 feet as planned in Mohali, but the district administration didn’t provide permission in April and instead asked us to apply a month prior, which was not possible for us,” Chauhan, the founder of the club, said.
The two-day event will cost around ₹15 lakh to the club that has been sourced with the help of the Rashtriya Jagran Manch Trust (RJMT) and other social workers.
