HUBLI: The annual eleven-day "Ganeshotsava" will start in the twin cities with the consecration of Ganesh idols on Sunday.

Addressing presspersons here on Thursday, S.S. Kamadollishettru, president, Hubi Sarvajanik Shri Ganeshotsava Samitigal Mahamandal (A federation of Ganesha festival celebration committees), vice-president Shrishailappa Shettar and honorary secretary Amaresh Hipparagi provided details on the arrangements made for the festival.

Several people from around the twin cities and nearby districts visit Hubli and Dharwad during the "Ganeshotsava". The federation has 280 committees affiliated to it and there are 200 committees in the twin cities that celebrate Ganeshotsava as a public ceremony.

Mr. Hipparagi said the "Ganesh Visarjana" for the Ganesh idols consecrated in Old Hubli would be held on the ninth day (September 4) and for those in New Hubli the "Visarjana" will be on the eleventh day (September 6).

`No digging up of roads'

Mr. Hipparagi said the Ganeshotsava committees would not only dig up few roads to put up pandals for the celebration.

Since several important roads in the twin cities had been recently asphalted under a Rs. 30-crore road improvement project, the federation had decided to change the location of seventeen pandals out of the twenty that were to be put up on the roads. After discussions with the Hubli-Dharwad Municipal Corporation, it had been decided to drill 38 holes at three locations in Hubli, using a new technique, to put up the pandals, he added.

"Once the holes are drilled, there will be no need to drill the holes again next year. They can be covered after the celebration. The road-cutting charges have been paid to the corporation by former Ministers Jabbarkhan Honnalli, A.M. Hindasageri and MP Pralhad Joshi," he said.

Keeping in view the problems arising out of use of raw materials such as Plaster of Paris, the federation had appealed to idol makers in the twin cities to make the idols only from mud, he said. However, there are few merchants who are selling idols made of Plaster of Paris after purchasing them from the neighbouring States, he added.

Transportation

Mr. Shettar said the federation had appealed to the Hubli Electricity Supply Company (HESCOM), North Western Karnataka Road Transport Corporation (NWKRTC) and the Hubli-Dharwad Municipal Corporation (HDMC) for uninterrupted power supply, proper illumination on roads and bus services at night. The police had been requested to allow hotels and restaurants to function till midnight for the benefit of the people who come from other places for having "darshan" of lord Ganesh, he said.

Accommodation

The federation had made accommodation arrangements for people of nearby villages. The kalyanamantaps and community halls would be used to provide accommodation, he added.

Apart from giving away prizes to the best decoration and best idols, the federation would felicitate eminent persons including the president of Anjuman-e-islam during the "Pratibha Puraskar" ceremony to be held on August 31. It would also bring out a map on the routes to various Ganesha pandals in the city.

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