GB Nagar residents ready for Dussehra festivities; traffic police issues advisory

Greater Noida/ Noida: A day ahead of Dussehra celebrations, the Ramlila committees across Noida and Greater Noida were busy giving a final touch to their effigies of demon King Ravana, his brother Kumbhakarna, and son Meghnatha to be burnt on Tuesday evening

Greater Noida/ Noida: A day ahead of Dussehra celebrations, the Ramlila committees across Noida and Greater Noida were busy giving a final touch to their effigies of demon King Ravana, his brother Kumbhakarna, and son Meghnatha to be burnt on Tuesday evening.

At the Ramlila ground in Greater Noida’s Site 4, the Shri Ramlila Committee has erected three towering effigies. (HT Photo)

At the Ramlila ground in Greater Noida’s Site 4, the Shri Ramlila Committee has erected three towering effigies. “This is our 21st year. We are currently preparing the effigies of Ravana, Kumbhakarna and Meghnada, which are 70 feet, 60 feet and 55 feet tall, respectively. We plan to burn them at around 9pm,” said Harinder Bhati, a member of the Shri Ramlila Committee, Site 4, on Monday.

This year, around 800 students aged between six and 25 from schools and colleges in the surrounding areas also participated in the which celebrations in the music and dance competition that took place during the initial days of Ramlila , he added

At the Ramlila ground in Noida’s Sector 62, effigies of Ravana, Kumbhakarna and Meghnada measuring 70 feet, 65 feet and 60 feet respectively have been built, according to the organisers.

The committee, like last year, will also burn three additional 10-foot effigies of terrorism, women oppression of women, and inflation, to highlight social issues affecting the society.

“Through these, we aim to raise public consciousness and unite people against these evils by burning their effigies,” said Dr Munna Sharma, general secretary of the Sector 62 Shree Ram Mitra Mandal Ramlila Committee.

Meanwhile, eight housing societies across Sectors 137 and 143 organised a “Bal Ramlila” together this time like last year, with children and adolescents aged between four and 17 enacting the Ramayana epic during the last nine days.

The event, organised by the Shri Sanatan Dharma Sabha, Sector 137, was held at the Central Park, with 275 children participating this year, said organisers, adding that this time their effigies of Ravana, Kumbhkarna and Meghnatha measure 40, 35, and 30 feet respectively.

“On Monday evening, our celebrations featured a Mallakhamb performance by a group of children from Delhi. The traditional Indian sport combines elements of gymnastics, yoga and acrobatics performed on a vertical pole,” said Pramod Rajput, general secretary of the organising committee.

Meanwhile, traffic police have decided to restrict traffic movement outside the Noida Stadium from Tuesday 2pm onwards till the end of the Dussehra programme on Wednesday.

Traffic movement from Sector 12/22 crossing to Noida Stadium will be prohibited.

Similarly, from Sector 10/21 U-turn to the Stadium and Modi Mall will be restricted. People coming from Sector 31/25 crossing to Noida Stadium will also be halted, said officials on Monday.

The traffic coming from Sector 16, Rajnigandha Chowk to Sector 12/22/56 will be diverted to Jalvayu Vihar, Nithari, and then NTPC and Gijhor, said Noida Traffic Police in a statement. The traffic coming from Sector 12/22/56 for Sector 16 will also be diverted to Sector 57, Gijhor, Sector 31/25, and then Sector 16, said officials.