Dakor: Extensive arrangements have been put in place for the five-day Phagni Purnima (Holi Poonam) Mela at Dakor, from February 27 to March 4, where over eight lakh devotees are expected to gather.

Temporary Bus Stands and Extra ST Buses

To ensure smooth transportation for pilgrims, temporary bus stands will be set up in Dakor and additional ST buses will be operated. From the temporary bus stand, buses will run to Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Nadiad, Anand and other destinations so that devotees can easily return after visiting the temple.

Arrangements have also been made for devotees to receive temple prasad at the temporary bus stand.

Parking Arrangements During the Fair

Separate parking facilities have been arranged based on the flow of vehicles:

• At the Deputy Executive Engineer Office Ground for vehicles coming from Thasra
• At the Khetivadi Uttapanna Bazar Samiti for vehicles coming from Ahmedabad
• At the Bhavans College Ground for vehicles coming from Umreth

Over Eight Lakh Devotees Expected

The Dakor Phagni Purnima Mela is the largest five-day fair in Kheda district. From February 27 to March 4, more than eight lakh devotees are expected to visit the pilgrimage town. A large number of devotees traditionally arrive on foot, leading to heavy crowding on all roads connecting to Dakor.

To ensure that devotees can have peaceful darshan of Shri Thakorji, the district administration has initiated special preparations. A review meeting with officials and temple authorities was held at Dakor Circuit House on Monday under the chairmanship of District Collector Amit Prakash Yadav.

44 Barricades to Manage Crowd

Given the massive turnout during the fair, a total of 44 barricades will be installed from the town entrance to the main gate of the temple to regulate crowd movement.

Barricades will be placed at key stretches, including:

• From Ranchhodraiji Temple premises to Navinchandra’s shop
• From Vardhman Plastic Center to Rajadhiraj Hotel
• From Jyoti Chashma Ghar to Baliadeo Park Society
• From Ashok Vakil’s house to Narsingh Tekri to Navchetna

Devotees will be allowed to proceed gradually towards the temple through these barricaded routes.

Additionally, barricading points will be set up at eight major locations, including Holi Chakla, Kuleshwari Mata Temple, around Gomti, near Harshad Soni’s shop, Sipaiwala’s nose, Punit Ashram three roads, Gulbai’s Wadi and Ganesh Cinema four roads.

2,000 Police Personnel to Be Deployed

To maintain law and order and ensure the safety of devotees, more than 2,000 police personnel will be deployed during the fair. Eight checkpoints and police assistance centers will be set up at seven different locations.

The situation will also be closely monitored through Netram surveillance systems and CCTV cameras.

The district administration has appealed to devotees to cooperate with authorities and follow the arrangements made for a smooth and peaceful Phagni Purnima Mela. DeshGujarat