Cultural Programs at the Stadium, Effigy Burning at Zoology Ground
Almora. Preparations have gained momentum to celebrate this year’s Dussehra festival in a grand manner. In this sequence, a joint meeting of the administration and the Dussehra Mahotsav Committee was held on Saturday. It was unanimously decided in the meeting that the cultural programs will be organized at the Hemvati Nandan Bahuguna Stadium, Almora, while the effigy burning of Ravana, Meghnath, and Kumbhkaran will take place at the Zoology Department’s ground.
During the meeting, all office bearers and officials agreed that in order to respect the sentiments of sports enthusiasts, a separate stage will be set up inside the stadium exclusively for cultural programs. For security reasons and better crowd management, the traditional burning of effigies will be held at the Zoology ground.
After the meeting, administrative officials and committee office bearers jointly inspected both the stadium and the Zoology ground. During the inspection, it was decided that additional facilities will be arranged at the stadium for the convenience of spectators, and the stage will be decorated in an attractive and safe manner.
Dussehra Mahotsav Committee President Ajit Singh Karki stated that while organizing the programs, special care will be taken to respect sports activities and the sentiments of sports lovers. He emphasized that the Dussehra festival is not only a symbol of religious faith and tradition but also conveys the message of cultural diversity and social unity.
The meeting was attended by Chief Advisor Deep Singh Dangi, Chief Coordinator Dharmendra Bisht, Secretary Vaibhav Pandey, Chief Cultural Coordinator Manoj Joshi, Treasurer Rajendra Tiwari, Co-coordinators Sharad Agrawal and Hitesh Verma, Co-cultural Coordinator Devendra Bhatt, Social Media In-charge Dinesh Mathpal, Media In-charge Kapil Malhotra along with other committee office bearers. Among the advisors were Kailash Gururani, Harish Kanwal, Sushil Sah, Bhairav Goswami, Deepak Kumar, and Patron Amarnath Negi. Members and office bearers of various Durga Committees of Almora also actively participated in the meeting.
From the administration’s side, SDM Sadar Sanjay Kumar, Kotwal Yogesh Upadhyay, AE Water Resources Birendra Mehta, Santosh Agrawal from the Electricity Department, and officials from the Sports Department were present. The administrative team also held detailed discussions on preparations related to security, traffic management, electricity supply, and water arrangements during the festival.
It was also decided in the meeting that local artists will be given priority in the cultural programs so that the folk culture and traditions of Kumaon can be promoted. Special programs are also being planned for children and youth.
The Dussehra Mahotsav Committee appealed to the residents of the town to celebrate the festival with traditional enthusiasm and social harmony. The committee also requested people to maintain cleanliness and extend full cooperation to the administration.
Thus, with the joint efforts of the administration and the committee, this year’s Dussehra festival in Almora is set to be not only grand from a religious and cultural perspective but also a vibrant confluence of social unity and folk traditions.
