NEW DELHI: A market association decked up the Jama Masjid area on Friday. The vicinity near Jama Masjid has been adorned with a tricolour display of flowers and colourful umbrellas. Earlier, the Old Delhi residents complained that the government did nothing to beautify the area ahead of the G20 Summit.
Flowers created a tricolour right at the entrance of Jama Masjid, a beautified lane, hanging umbrellas made a colourful canopy in the lane, and fountains and lightning made the vicinity look vibrant.
The area around Jama Masjid is also decorated with the G20 logo, banners and slogans reading, ‘Proud to be celebrating India’s G20 presidency’.
According to many residents, the government acted in tandem in keeping the area filthy, chaotic and a ghetto but the Matia Mahal Market association took the initiative to decorate the vicinity. Matia Mahal Market Association President Haji Salimuddin said, “The government focussed in decorating the New Delhi area. We didn’t want Old Delhi to look dull.”
He added, “When someone comes to our home for the first time, we clean the entire home and don’t leave one part assuming that the guests will not enter that area. We as Old Delhites wanted to welcome the guests in our area. We have tried to make a replica of the fountains, the government has installed in the New Delhi area. We have also put flowers, lightning and G20 banners to welcome the guests.”
Meanwhile, Deputy Mayor of Delhi Aaley Mohammad Iqbal said, “I appreciate the market association of Matia Mahal that transformed the Jama Masjid in such a short time span. We plan to implement the SRDC’s Shahajanabad redevelopment plan under Arvind Kejriwal’s supervision as soon as possible.”
A resident of Urdu Bazar, Jama Masjid Rafe Aziz said, “We woke up to a beautiful and colourful Jama Masjid today and realised that we are also a part of the G20 Summit. Thanks to the market association people for this initiative otherwise the government would have completely ignored this area with a plan that the visitors will not enter Jama Masjid.”
Flowers adorn trees in Lutyens’ Delhi
The Lutyens’ Delhi wears the look of a big colourful garden with the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) putting up thousands of flowers of marigolds, chrysanthemums, daisies, and asparagus mary on trees and flower boards on the routes marked for the movement of G20 guests. Around 1,200 trees and important intersections have been decorated by the (NDMC) on Sardar Patel Road, officials said.