Kali puja pandals in Kolkata encroach on to the roads leading to traffic snarls

Commuting in Kolkata means negotiating the traffic snarls that are now cropping up due to encroachment of Kali puja pandals on to the roads choking the traffic on thoroughfares, lanes and by-lanes. The just concluded Durga Puja has drained all the energy out of cops who remained on their toes for unending hours. Therefore, manning traffic and revelers of Kali Puja has become an even bigger headache for them - Kali puja pandals are mushrooming all over the city.
This has been reported in timesofindia.indiatimes.com dated 28 October 2016.

It seems the organizers have started to occupy large portions of roads at least 15 days before the Puja leading to chaos on the roads because vehicles hardly have space to move, leading to massive traffic jams. Kali puja does not need too much funds and can be held with a moderate fund. Thereby, the number of pujas keeps increasing, and at an alarming rate.
Kali Puja pandals may not be big crowd-pullers compared to Durga puja pandals but their impact on roads is no less. On a rough estimate, the city hosts 10-15 times more Kali pandals than Durga pandals. Moreover, organizers of Kali Puja usually the young brigade who are aggressive and brash, with very little respect for rules. Hence, clashes are not uncommon.


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Red Road in Kokata to witness 55 Durga Puja procession enroute to immersion

Red Road in Kolkata had, till now, been the venue for holding gala parades on Republic Day and Independence Day. It has always been close to chief minister Mamata Banerjee's heart. She had held her second swearing-in ceremony here. And, now, the people of the city can watch processions of 55 big Durga Pujas as the idols are taken for immersion in the River Ganges. It will be the Bishwa Bangla carnival
This has been reported in timesofindia.indiatimes.com dated 13 October 2016.

The arrangements on Red Road and its adjacent areas will lead to all connecting roads being out of bound for traffic as 55 of the best Puja committees march towards Red Road for the gala show. Each puja can have four tableaux, including a miniature pandal where they hosted Ma Durga for the past few days.
Thee are clear indication of a total collapse of traffic on Friday. However, the extended holiday will that has been declared could come to their rescue.
The idea of holding this mega show under Biswa Banga branding is expected to be sold globally through internet next year to draw international tourists.


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Kolkata Metro carried 800,000 passengers on chaturthi, it was 762,000 last year

On Chaturthi, the Kolkata Metro carried more than 800,000 people - the figure an all-time record for the city's transport lifeline. It was the Durga Puja and metro was a boon for pandal hoppers because the road above was choked with traffic snarls and vehicles literally crawled.
The corresponding figure of metro passengers last year was 762,000 and the hot spot was Kalighat station because that was the gateway for a whole lot of many big-ticket pujas.
Incidentally, around 600,000 people on average travel by the Metro on weekdays.
This has been reported in telegraphindia.com dated 7 October 2016.

The increase in numbers led to serpentine queues at many stations, the queues even stretching to the roads above. The trains were overcrowded and, at times, doors refused to close and RPF men had to request people to get off and take the next train.
The number of people disembarking at Kalighat was far more than those boarding the train.


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Durga Puja attraction - idol decked in 5-Kg gold ornaments and valued at Rs 2 crores

Gone are the days of pandal created to house the idols of Goddess Durga and her children. The olden day concept has been replaced by theme pujas and organizers break their heads searching for themes that have never been done earlier. The bottom line is to attract people to their pandals and garner footsteps in order to not just prove their existence but, also, their clout.
One of the star attractions this year in Kolkata would, undoubtedly, be a Durga idol decked in decked in 5-Kg gold ornaments and valued at Rs 2 crores.
This has been reported in telegraphindia.com dated 5 October 2016.

Durga’s crown for this idol is about 2ft high and those of the others in her retinue about 1.5ft. The idol is housed in a 100ft high replica of the Jagannath temple in Puri. In order to ensure utmost security, the organizers have installed 20 CCTV cameras and deployed over 200 private security guards. In addition, confectioners have been brought from Puri to make the famous khaja to distribute among devotees from Saptami to Dashami. Flags from the Puri temple have also been procured - these will be hoisted on top of the pandal.
Another idol has gold dusted on the idol that is carved out of a sandstone slab weighing 4.5 tonne. There is also a 13 inch gold crown in meenakari work with precious stones encrusting it for the Goddess. The 35ft pandal and decor are made of elaborate sirish wood carvings and visitors are being monitored on 16 CCTV cameras from two control rooms, with 100 private security guards on duty.


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Senior police officers of Kolkata to maintain law and order in big budget Durga pujas

Based on the experience of last year when there was a near stampede in a the Deshapriya Park puja pandal where the biggest Durga idol was on display, the Kolkata Police have decided to depute senior level offices to maintain law and order in big budget Durga pujas in the city. There could be a joint commissioner manning a big budget Puja or, even, four joint CPs posted at four corners of a Puja pandal to control crowd.
This has been reported in timesofindia.indiatimes.com dated 30 September 2016.

The Lalbazar top brass has asked all traffic guards to work in tandem with the local police. The traffic cops will primarily look after vehicle movement and, the local police will keep an eye on the pandal hoppers. The police must visit the venues or pandals in advance to get familiar with the topography of the area well before the actual deployment starts.
Police have also taken a decision of not putting up barricades on important carriageways like S P Mukherjee Road and C R Avenue till Chaturthi evening. Barricades will be allowed only from Chaturthi evening and the decorators can dump bamboo poles only from Sunday for the barricades.


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Chinese consulate in Kolkata to award prizes for best Durga Puja and pandal

The Chinese consulate in Kolkata, the official representative of the People's Republic of China in the city , has taken a decision to participate in a big way in this year's Durga Puja in the city and award the best pandals. The consulate has tied up with an NGO that works closely with the city police and Kolkata Municipal Corporation to spread safety awareness among Durga Puja organizers.
This has been reported in timesofindia.indiatimes.com dated 28 September 2016.

Members of the consulate will go to the venues for three days starting October 6 (Panchami) and decide on the 10 best Pujas. The parameters for judging will be safety, aesthetics and environment protection. The results will be announced on Nabami.
Chinese expatriates will act as judges and they will visit the pandals unannounced to see if the pandals have adopted proper fire-safety measures, whether there is enough space for fire tenders to negotiate in the unfortunate event of a fire or if the organizers have kept the entrances and exits clutter-free for easy evacuation of people.
Innovative pandal designs, themes and aesthetics will also fetch points.
There are no cash prizes but, the winners will get an all-paid trip to China and the awards will be given away by the consulate in an event after the Pujas. Free trips to China for the winners will be a means to promote tourism and showcase the best-loved destinations of the country.


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For pandal hoppers during Durga Pujas in Jamshedpur - try the pool bus service

Jamshedpur is hosting 306 Durga Pujas this year and this is six more than last year. People usually go pandal-hopping on bikes, cars and SUVs. These add to fuel consumption and in turn carbon footprint. However, an innovative method has been drawn up by an umbrella outfit of private bus operators.
They are offering pool bus service that will be a both environment and pocket-friendly option. The capacity of the buses is 30-35 seats, hence extended family apart from neighbors can join in the fun.
This has been reported in telegraphindia.com dated 22 September 2016.

The association plan to give a flat 30 per cent discount on fares, which may go up if the service draws good response. This is for half-day booking - half-day will mean from evening till wee hours. This is because people like to visit pandals after dusk because of illuminations.
As per conservative estimates, every private bus collects around Rs 50,000 through daylong ticket sales. Therefore, half-day bus collections would mean Rs 25,000 and 30 per cent of that amount comes to around Rs 17,500. This would mean roughly Rs 500 per head which is affordable.
Booking is quite easy - one needs to call the pool bus service, and indicate the pick-up point and tentative time of arrival. The money will have to be deposited with the staff after boarding the bus. The bus will follow the route that the passengers want, picking or dropping them wherever needed.


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Ranchi traffic police launch drive to remove hawkers from the streets

Ranchi traffic police have launched an anti-encroachment campaign on Mahatma Gandhi Road, popularly Main Road, in the capital in the run-up to festive season of Durga Puja. The mushrooming stalls squeeze the carriageway by almost half and leads to traffic snarls.
The sudden and unannounced drive began from 11.30am and lasted for a couple of hours and, in this period, nearly half a dozen unauthorized businesses were removed from the area.
This has been reported in telegraphindia.com dated 17 September 2016.

The intention of the authorities is very clear - they will carry out the campaign daily to keep Main Road and its branches free of encroachment in the festive season and will keep removing the encroachers. It may be noted that Jharkhand High Court has asked the police to keep the stretch free of encroachments at any cost.
Incidentally, the anti-encroachment drive had its root in the Durga Puja pandal poser because road-hog pandals are creating resentment among commuters already. Therefore, the district administration does not want to remain a mute spectator to the hawker menace. In the course of a meeting with Puja organisers, the police had pointed out that the pandals that are being erected on the roads should leave enough room for pedestrians and bikers.


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Clicking selfie with Ma Durga may be banned in Kolkata

Selfie is the in-thing today but, when everyone wants to click selfies in front of Ma Durga, it creates unwanted rush. Therefore, based on previous year's experience, the Kolkata Police are contemplating banning of selfies in the venues.
The culprits are mainly the youngsters because they strike poses before the Durga idol or the pandal in order to win the admiration and appreciation among friends and peers. However, Kolkata police is advising the organizers that they need to stop pandal hoppers from taking selfies. Alternatively, they can consider setting up selfie zones at a place where it does not infringe on the free movement of the crowd.
This has been reported in timesofindia.indiatimes.com dated 10 September 2016.

As indicated by the police, selfies have emerged as a major stumbling block last year with the young pandal hoppers insisting on clicking pictures from vantage points. That led to blocking of the entry and exit apart from a security dilemma. Organizers have now been asked to install boards warning against such activity and, the police positioned near the pandal will appeal to revelers not to block movement by trying to click selfies.
Incidentally, clicking selfies with the deity has acquired endemic proportion. During last Durga Puja one of the big ticket pujas in Babubagan in Dhakuria, had to put up signboards at the entrance of the pandal barring visitors from click selfies. Mohammed Ali Park, another famous puja in central Kolkata, created a separate selfie zone to divert the selfie snapping brigade from the pandal and prevent congestion inside to ensure smooth flow of visitors.


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