Curtains come down on grand Mysuru Dasara festival
Mysuru (PTI): Curtains came down on the 10-day Dasara festival with the grand finale in the form of 'Jamboo Savari' in this royal city on Tuesday.
An impressive procession of caparisoned elephants with the deity of Mysuru city Chamundeshwari enthroned on a 750 kg golden 'houdah' of the pilot 'jambo' Abhimanyu was held from the front of the imposing Mysuru palace.
The procession was led by the cavalry of the Karnataka police.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, District in-charge Minister H C Mahadevappa, the titular king of Mysuru Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar and the members of the royal family paid obeisance to Goddess Chamundeshwari.
Earlier in the day, the chief minister took part in the Nandi Dhwaja Pooja.
In celebrating the 'Naada Habba' or the state festival, the city wore a grand look as it was decorated with colourful lighting. Various cultural events took place as well.
A grand tableaux of 31 districts of the state and various important government departments were displayed in the procession from in front of the palace, depicting their unique features.
Ballari district showcased the cultural aspects of the Hakki-Pikki tribes while Belagavi district displayed a model of the historic Mahalingeshwara temple.
Bengaluru Urban district showcased the achievement of ISRO's Chandrayaan-3, while Kolar presented the Gaarudi dance, Bidar focused on the distinct wildlife and Chamarajanagar exhibited a model of the famous Male Mahadeshwara temple. Chikkamagaluru created a display of the diverse flora and fauna as well as the aromatic coffee produced in the district.
Kushti is also among the key attractions along with the various cultural events during these 10 days.
The festival culminated as the procession reached Bannimantap from the palace.
Thousands of people had thronged to watch the grand finale of the Dasara celebrations. People from across the globe visit this royal city to witness the magnificent sights, famous worldwide for their regal splendour.
Vijayadashami or Dasara is celebrated as the triumph of good over evil as Goddess Chamundeshwari killed Mahishasura. She later made the hill nearby her abode, which came to be known as Chamundi Hills after the Goddess herself.
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Crowd management efforts ramped up at Maha Kumbh after stampede
Mahakumbh Nagar (PTI): A day after a stampede at the Maha Kumbh left 30 dead, the Uttar Pradesh government ramped up efforts to ensure crowd management and safety of devotees who continued to flock here in large numbers for the religious gathering.
The devotees braved the pre-dawn chill and dense fog to take a dip in the Sangam and at other ghats here on Thursday.
More than 55.11 lakh devotees had taken the holy dip till 8:00 am, according to the Uttar Pradesh government.
Superintendent of Police (Traffic) Anshuman Mishra told PTI that the area would remain a no-vehicle zone until the crowd disperses completely.
"Vehicle passes will not be valid until all devotees have safely left for their destinations. No outside vehicles would be allowed to enter the city until the crowd exits the Mela area," he said.
However, senior officials may grant permission for vehicle entry based on the situation, he said.
Mishra clarified that essential services such as police administration vehicles, ambulances and suction machines would be allowed entry as they are crucial for the smooth management of the Maha Kumbh.
Pilgrims, including women and children, were seen walking to and fro the various ghats amid reduced visibility. Many had thin blankets covering their bodies while some stopped by bonfires along the routes to keep themselves warm.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Secretary Manoj Kumar Singh and Director General of Police Prashant Kumar are scheduled to reach here later in the day for a detailed probe into the stampede.
The top officers would also conduct a thorough review of the arrangements in the Mela area, Chief Minister Adityanath said on Wednesday night.
"Every aspect related to security and public convenience must be carefully examined to ensure seamless arrangements for Basant Panchami (Feb 3 - Amrit Snan)," he said.
In a bid to further strengthen the arrangements, the Uttar Pradesh government will also be deploying two former senior officers on Mela duty -- Ashish Goyal, who served as divisional commissioner of Prayagraj for the 2019 Kumbh, and Bhanu Goswami, former vice chairman of the Agra Development Authority.
Additionally, five special secretary-level officers are being assigned to oversee operations. All of them will remain in Prayagraj till February 12 to assist in streamlining the arrangements, Adityanath said.
Besides 30 deaths, 60 people were injured in the pre-dawn stampede on Wednesday in the Sangam area of the Maha Kumbh as millions of pilgrims jostled for space to take a holy dip on the occasion of Mauni Amavasya, one of the most auspicious days of the Hindu calendar.
Maha Kumbh DIG Vaibhav Krishna said the incident took place due to crowd pressure. The crowd broke barricades and jumped to the other side, crushing those waiting there, he said.
On Wednesday, more than 7.64 crore devotees had a 'snan' at the Maha Kumbh, the highest in a single day so far. The footfall since the beginning of the mega event had crossed 27.58 crore by the end of Wednesday, according to the Uttar Pradesh government.
The Maha Kumbh kicked off on January 13 and will continue till February 26.
