Indore (Madhya Pradesh): Pandit Pradeep Mishra's Mahashivpuran Katha is all set to commence on June 9 at Omkareshwar. The biggest challenge is the traffic management, as five to seven lakh devotees are expected to attend the event. Consequently, traffic on the Indore-Ichapur highway is projected to increase significantly. The police is preparing a road map to address this.
According to information, on Thursday, police officials inspected the programme site and the road from Mortakka to Omkareshwar. The Katha site was situated between Omkareshwar and Mortakka in Thapna. The Mandhata royal family, through Rao Jitendra Singh, had provided a 60-acre field for the event. A waterproof tent, measuring 300 by 800 square feet, is set up.
Indore traffic police officials explained that to control traffic, heavy vehicles were prohibited on the Indore-Ichhapur route from Indore to Deshgaon between 6 AM and 8 PM. Heavy vehicles heading from Indore were to take the Simrol, Tejaji Nagar, Khalghat, and Khargone routes before exiting at Deshgaon. The same arrangement applied for vehicles heading to Indore. Devotees attending the Katha were to follow the traffic arrangements from Mortakka to Omkareshwar Road. Devotees traveling to Omkareshwar had to go via the Kothi route from Sanawad.
Parking Facilities
The traffic police had prepared a road map for traffic management. Two grounds between Mortakka Square and Aqueduct were designated for parking. One parking area was near the Katha site. Another parking site was selected near Omkar Heights, beyond Kothi Square. Additionally, Kothi Helipad was to be used as a parking area. In total, ten parking locations were identified. ASP Raghuvanshi mentioned that routes would be altered in case of traffic jams. 150 traffic officers and employees were to manage the traffic arrangements.
Hotels, Lodges and Guesthouses sold out
Devotees have begun arriving three days before the Katha. This time, the organizers have not arranged any VIP seating, which led to early arrivals. Hotels, lodges, and guesthouses in Omkareshwar, Mortakka, Sanawad, and Barwaha were fully booked in advance. The administration anticipated that the crowd might exceed their estimates.
