Three vax centres to be set up at Kullu Dasehra venue

Our Correspondent

Kullu October 13

The Kullu Dasehra Festival Committee has invited 332 deities for the seven-day Dasehra festival to commence from October 15. However, 250 deities are expected to participate even while the Nazrana (honorarium) will not be paid and they will have to bear their own expenses.

Governor RV Arlekar will participate in the opening ceremony and witness the Rath Yatra. Due to the model code of conduct for the Mandi parliamentary byelection, some higher official will be the chief guest at the closing ceremony on October 21.

The district administration has advised priests, kardars (caretakers) and devalus (volunteers) to get both doses of Covid vaccine to be able to come with the deities for the festival. The persons who have received one dose will not be able to come to Dhalpur ground with the deity.

The devotees will be screened at the entry points to the Dhalpur ground. Around 600 police personnel will take care of law and order situation. In view of the epidemic, people last year had to stay away during the Rath Yatra.

Flying squads will check RT-PCR tests or vaccination report of tourists coming from other states at entry points of the town at Bajaura and Babeli. The Health Department will set up three special counters at Dhalpur ground to vaccinate the tourists and local people.

Kullu DC and vice-chairman of the committee Ashutosh Garg said it was necessary to take precautionary measures to contain the spread of the pandemic. He said so far only 50 per cent of the eligible people of the district have received the second dose.

The officer said that those having symptoms like cough or cold should not come to the Dhalpur ground. He said that it was mandatory for persons coming from out of the state to either carry a fully vaccinated certificate or RT-PCR report not older than 72 hours to visit the festival.