Tight security arrangements have been made in Kota city ahead of the Anant Chaturdashi mega procession, which is to be held on Thursday.
Ever since the riots during the Anant Chaturdashi procession in 1989, this festival has been celebrated amid tight security arrangements. Additional SP Kota City, Bhagwat Singh Hingad, shared that extensive security arrangements are in place for the Grand Anant Chaturdashi procession. In addition to the Kota City Police, reinforcements have been summoned from adjacent areas to bolster the security. Approximately 3,500 policemen have been deployed to oversee the security arrangements during the festival. The Kota police have also carried out a flag march on the procession route on Tuesday.
To enhance surveillance and monitoring, the Kota City Police have installed nearly 100 CCTV cameras along the route of the Anant Chaturdashi procession. There will be barricading along the route, and the monitoring will be done with drones, and watch towers. This technological reinforcement is aimed at ensuring real-time situational awareness and rapid response capabilities.
The Anant Chaturdashi procession promises to be a spectacle of cultural richness, featuring acrobatic acts and performances by 13 Akharas. The vibrant procession will boast over 150 meticulously crafted tableaus, contributing to its festive grandeur. The procession will cover a distance of 5km and is scheduled to last for 18 hours, commencing at noon and concluding at night. It will begin at the Surajpole gate in Kota, traversing the inner fort wall area. Devotees will carry elaborately decorated idols of Lord Ganesha. This procession will culminate in the Kishore Sagar Lake of Kota with the ritualistic immersion of Ganesha idols. NDRF and SDRF teams will also be deployed at the Kishore Sagar Lake, where Ganesh idols will be immersed. As part of the security measures, prohibitory orders are already in effect throughout the district, underscoring the commitment to maintaining law and order during the ongoing festival season.