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Red Road decks up for grand immersion parade

The entire stretch of the 1.5-km long Red Road from Fort William to the Police Memorial has been decorated with electrical artwork. The artworks are inspired by development projects undertaken by the Mamata Banerjee government in the past five years including Khadya Sathi, Kanyashri and Sishushri. The tradition and culture of Bengal have also been depicted through artworks using lights.

The electrical artwork put up on both sides of the road will give Red Road a surreal touch after darkness descends.

Dhakis and other musicians will lighten up the mood, when idols of Goddess Durga and her entourage pass through. At the same time, there will be lighting in perfect harmony with the music during the grand parade.

The initiative to organise the grand procession where the idols will be taken for immersion has been taken to let the world know about Bengal’s grandest festival . Hoping to attract more tourists to the state during Durga Puja, there will be around 50 foreign tourists watching the procession of the city’s finest Durga idols with vibrant music and lighting building up a festive atmosphere.

The state government invited consulates of different countries in the city and invited them to witness the procession that has been organised to showcase the artistry of Bengal’s idol makers. “It will be a magical experience for all present at the venue,” said a state government official.

The Red Road rally will begin at 5 pm and continue till 8 pm. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee along with other dignitaries will be present. A podium has been put up at the side of Red Road from where the CM and other VIPs will witness the parade.

There are arrangements to accommodate around 50,000 people that include 12,500 guests. There will be one VIP entrance at the Fort William end of Red Road and there will be five other gates through which Kolkata denizens will be allowed to enter. Giant screens have been set up at different areas so that people do not miss any moment of the rally.

A control room of the Kolkata Police has also been set up on the other side of the road. The puja organisers, whose idols will be participating in the rally, have been asked to assemble at Bangabasi Ground by 2.30 pm. One by one, the idols will head towards Red Road in the evening.

The organisers have already been told by the police that a maximum of 100 people  per puja committee will be allowed to take part in the procession.  A maximum of five vehicles will be allowed for large Durga idols, and three vehicles could be used to ferry the smaller idols.

Traffic restrictions on Red Road will be imposed a few hours ahead of the rally. Senior police officers of the Kolkata Traffic Police held a meeting and chalked out a plan to divert the vehicles through alternate routes including Jawaharlal Nehru Road and Strand Road to avoid any traffic congestion.
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