Ensure comprehensive arrangements for Maha Shivratri festival: Div Com to DCs, Depts

Srinagar, Feb 05: In view of the forthcoming festival of Maha Shivratri being celebrated by local Hindu Community, Divisional Commissioner Kashmir Anshul Garg on Thursday convened a meeting of Deputy Commissioners and Heads of Departments to review and finalize comprehensive arrangements at major temples and transit camps across the Kashmir Division for the facilitation of the local minority community.

The meeting was attended by Deputy Commissioners, Senior Superintendents of Police, the Relief and Rehabilitation Commissioner, religious leaders and officers from all concerned civil departments.

Maha Shivratri, locally known as Herath, is an important religious festival for Kashmiri Pandits and will be celebrated on February 15.

Addressing the meeting, the Div Com directed all the officers to ensure detailed arrangements at the major congregational places and transit camps across the division.

He emphasized the availability of essential items including walnuts, nadru, fish, marigold flowers, and other festival-related requirements for the community. The Food Safety Department was instructed to conduct intensive market-checking drives to ensure the quality and safety of edible goods.

The Div Com laid special focus on arrangements at the Shankaracharya Temple, where over 25,000 devotees are expected to perform religious rituals. He directed departments to ensure uninterrupted power supply, adequate water storage, proper sanitation, replacement of defunct streetlights, decoration of approach roads, deployment of volunteers, floral decorations at designated locations, and deputation of magistrates.

Besides, he urged concerned for making adequate transport arrangements, including deployment of sufficient buses, to facilitate ferrying of devotees to the temple.

Meanwhile, SSPs were instructed to ensure foolproof security arrangements at all identified venues to ensure smooth and peaceful conduct of the festival.