Ujjain: The administration has changed the route of Mahakal’s sawari (procession). The decision for change in the route is being opposed by various organisations of the city.
Dharm Yatra Mahasangh’s national general secretary Pt Surendra Chaturvedi, state head Ashok Kotwani, Teerth Purohit Mahasabha president Pt Manish Upadhyay and members of Brahmin community released a joint statement in which they appealed the district administration and Shri Mahakaleshwar Temple Management Committee to rethink over the decision to curtail the sawari route. Pt Chaturvedi informed a meeting will be called of religious organizations of the city to discuss the matter regarding Sawari’s route.
Vishwa Hindu Mahasangh head Devendrashah Lala told that the administration and Shri Mahakaleshwar Temple Management Committee are playing with religious sentiments of the city dwellers. The route should not be changed otherwise the VHM will start agitation, he added.
Geetashridhar Dharmik, Sanskritik and
Samajik Seva Sansthan’s secretary Rupesh Kabra also asked the administration to review the decision to cut short the traditional route of the Sawari. Kabra further told the organization will start agitation if the route is not changed by the administration.
Repair work
As the new route of the Mahakaleshwar-sawari (procession) has been finalised, the administration has started repairing and decorating the route from Wednesday ahead of the first procession which is slated for Monday. Additional Municipal Commissioner Manoj Pathak on Thursday inspected the procession route.
Handcarts, kiosks to be shifted
As per the reports more than 100 handcarts and kiosks situated at the roadside will be shifted elsewhere from the route of the procession. The kiosks and handcarts in the area of Bada Ganesh Temple, Harsiddhi square, Jhalaria Mathh, and Ranoji Ki Chhatri will be shifted to other areas.
The administration also started patchwork on the sawari route. The Municipal Corporation’s team has also cleaned the route of the sawari and instructed the shopkeepers not to keep their products on roads.
Vendors’ appeal
Street vendors of Bada Ganesh, Rudra Sagar and Harsiddhi temple areas appealed the collector and the commissioner not to shift them elsewhere from their areas. The vendors told that on the day of sawari they will shut their business but on the other days they should be allowed to do business. The vendors’ association functionary Sanjaysingh Chouhan, Ranjeet Singh Parmar and other vendors submitted memorandum to the collector in the matter.
