21 lakh diyas to light up Kashi ghats
It was a splendid start to Diwali in the land of Lord Ram at Ayodhya which was illuminated with a record 5.5 lakh diyas on Deepotsav on Diwali eve. The celebrations will end in Kashi on Kartik Purnima when the land of Lord Shiva will come alive with 21 lakh diyas illuminating its 84 iconic ghats along the holy river Ganga on November 12. The whole stretch of 84 ghats – Asi to Rajghat—will be illuminated by the diyas and lakhs of people, will be witness to the ‘Diwali of Gods.’ Preparations are in full swing and Kashi is decked up to entertain those coming from different parts of the world .
A taste of culture and ‘kebabs’
Members of Citizens for Lucknow organised a heritage walk recently from the Mayfair Crossing in Hazratganj early in the morning to Kakori Shareef visiting monuments which go back 250 years. They included the tombs of Sufi saints Shah Muhammad Kazim Qalandar and Shah Turab Ali Qalandar of the famous Takiya Shareef Kazmiya shrine. The day came to an end on a delicious note with the 36 members coming together to enjoy Mughlai delicacies, including the famous Galwati and Kakori Kebabs.
Steps to tackle ‘severe’ smog
Even as several Uttar Pradesh cities, including Lucknow continued to reel under dipping air quality, which turned ‘severe’, CM Yogi Adityanath issued directives for daily monitoring of stubble burning. He also directed officials to limit road construction activity for the time being so that air pollution can be contained. UP Power Corporation has also been asked to look for alternative for generators which contributed majorly to air pollution. In urban areas, authorities have been asked to sprinkle water in public area to contain air pollution due to dust. Several departments have been asked to suggest ways to contain air pollution.
Lakhnawi dress code for Chhath
Lucknow saw Chhat devotees adhering to a dress code. While men wore saffron kurta and yellow dhoti, women were attired in saree. Everyone scheduled to throng the ghats had been urged by the Akhil Bharatiya Bhojpuri Samaj convenor to adhere to the dress code. The reason: “The colour of the rising and dipping Sun is saffron. So, a dress code dominated by saffron will give celebrations the semblance of the Sun rays. Chhath Puja celebrations have been organized in Lucknow for the last 34 years and this year, it witnessed the congregation of 150 Bhojpuri artistes from UP and Bihar at cultural functions to mark the auspicious occasion.