Bhubaneswar: After a hiatus of two years due to the Covid curbs, the Khandagiri fair will commence on Saturday here and continue till February 10.
Preparations for the famous Khandagiri fair are complete and Naga babas and saints have started arriving in the capital city for participating in the fair. Preparations to light holy fires in the spots are also complete. As of now, over 500 holy men have already arrived at Khandagiri.
Meanwhile, the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC), the organiser of the fair, has prepared a Standard Operation Procedure (SOP) for the seamless conduct of this annual event. Recently, the BMC Mayor Sulochana Das issued fresh guidelines for jatra (opera) groups, stall owners and visitors.
Opera groups need to ensure that the names of their plays do not hurt anyone’s sentiments. The plays should not include any form of sexual, intimate, or instigating dance moves. The dance parties have been refrained from using high volume.
In addition, the opera owners have been asked to engage security guards and volunteers to ensure the safety of their actors. The organisers of opera shows have also been advised to install CCTV cameras to keep an eye on anti-social elements visiting their shows. All the opera party owners, vendors and stall owners are required to obtain NOC from BMC, police and fire department well ahead of time.
Various opera parties have also finished setting up their temporary tents at the foothills of Khandagiri. Keeping in mind the footfall of visitors to watch the ‘jatra’, authorities have made arrangements to control the traffic in the area. Shopkeepers have also been allotted space to showcase their merchandise.
Parking on the roadside has been banned and any deviation will attract a fine. Parking arrangements have been made at six different locations close to the venue.
