Ujjain should have Diwali-like celebrations on 'Mahakal Lok' inauguration: MP minister

Ujjain should celebrate the grand opening of the 'Mahakal Lok' on October 11 with a spirit of Diwali festival and households and streets in the holy city be illuminated to mark the dedication of the mega corridor to people, Madhya Pradesh cabinet minister Bhupendra Singh said on Thursday.

Singh, who holds the portfolio of housing and urban development, along with his cabinet colleague Mohan Yadav and MLA Ujjain North Paras Jain and other senior leaders, took part in a review meeting on the preparations underway for the event.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the first phase of the Rs 856-crore Mahakaleshwar Temple corridor development project here, located around 200 km from the state capital Bhopal.

The Mahakaleshwar Temple is one of the 12 'jyotirlings' in the country and gets devotees throughout the year.

The over 900-metre-long corridor, billed as one of the largest such corridors in India, has been named 'Mahakal Lok' by the state government.

''Extensive preparations are underway for the PM event, and a review meeting was held today with representatives of various organising committees created to manage the mega event,'' he said.

''Suggestions were floated by various members and they were considered. It has been decided to hold a meeting tomorrow of heads of various committees and then ward-level meets will be held,'' he added.

The review meeting was held in the evening at the Triveni Museum located adjacent to the soon-to-open Mahakal Lok corridor.

Ujjain Collector Ashish Singh, Chief Executive Officer of Ujjain Smart City, Ashish Kumar Pathak and other senior officials of the district administration attended the meeting.

Earlier, addressing the gathering at the meet, Bhupendra Singh said the opening of the Mahakal Lok should be celebrated with a Diwali-like spirit, and households and streets be decorated.

''This should be Diwali for Mahakal Lok... I urge you all to keep yourself free for the next five days for engaging in work related to the inauguration event on October 11,'' he said.

Work to deck up the city ahead of the big-ticket event has already started and picked up pace a day after Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan visited the city on Dusshera on Wednesday.

Ujjain Mayor Mukesh Tatwal also took part in the review meeting during which suggestions by participants included invitation and hosting of saints and seers to the event.

''The city's municipal corporation will reach out to all 54 wards in Ujjain so that householdd are lit up on the big day. Besides, streets and flyovers are being decked up. We wish to celebrate October 11 as Diwali too, before the actual Diwali (October 24),'' Tatwal told PTI.

The housing and urban development minister also took stock of the planning being made for the grand stage that will be erected at Kartik Mela ground where the prime minister, chief minister and others will reach after the dedication of the corridor to the people.

According to officials, development of 'Mahakal Lok' includes a mid-way zone, a park, a multi-storied parking lot for cars and buses, florist and other shops, solar lighting, a facility centre for pilgrims, a mega entry gate, water pipeline and sewer line.

A light and sound system has also been developed along with installation of 108 ornate pillars showcasing Shiv Tandav shlokas as well as 52 murals depicting various stories taken from the Shiv Puran, they said.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)