BHUBANESWAR: With the NH-16 flyover work on and Covid-19 restrictions still in place, the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) is looking for alternative sites to host the famous Khandagiri Mela. The nine-day Khandagiri Mela begins from ‘Magha Saptami’, which this year falls on February 18. The age-old festival also known as Magha Mela is organised every year at the foothills of Khandagiri and Udayagiri mountains. However, due to ongoing construction work for the flyover at Khandagiri square, the area is unusable.
This apart, given the pandemic and need for social distancing, the civic body is planning to organise the festival at multiple locations to prevent crowd build-up. “We had asked the organisers to propose alternative places and they have suggested some sites nearby. If we find the proposed sites suitable for setting up stalls, they will be given the go-ahead. However, the mela needs to be organised in a restrictive manner adhering to all safety protocols to prevent large gathering,” said Municipal Commissioner Prem Chandra Chaudhary. “We are reviewing the proposal and a final decision in this regard is expected to be announced by Tuesday. The matter has also been discussed with the Chief Secretary and the Special Relief Commissioner,” he added.
The zonal deputy commissioner of South West Zone and senior officials held talks with the organisers on Monday in this regard. The organising committee members said organising jatra (opera) performances during the mela adhering to the government protocol may not be feasible as it would cause huge loss to them. Around 50,000 people visit the festival everyday and around 5,000 watch jatra at a time. “So far, there is no consensus on opera show as it may not be possible to organise it with a cap of 50 per cent or 500 people,” said one of the members of the organising committee.