Dasara decoration: Cause for delight but a word of caution

Plastic pots hanging upside down with tail-like cloth tied make a pretty picture on the road near DC Office and Scouts and Guides Grounds where Dasara Ahara mela will be held.

Mysuru: Nada Habba or Dasara festivities is the time when the whole of the city turns into a fairyland, especially during night times. This mesmerising sight not only attracts tourists from all over the world, but even locals would love to drive around the town in spite of bumper-to-bumper traffic, to watch the illumination of heritage buildings, Circles and the Raja Marga (Sayyaji Rao Road), the Dasara procession route.

The effort that goes into creating such a spectacle by the Dasara Celebration Committee and the Chamundeshwari Electricity Supply Corporation (CESC) every year is humoungous. However, people feel the effort at times should also be more towards keeping the safety aspects and the interest of lives of citizens in mind.

A few circles, junctions and major roads have already been illuminated even though the commencement of Dasara celebrations is four to five days away. The illumination has caused a few problems as the signal lights are not clearly seen.

It is very difficult to make out suddenly from which direction the traffic is moving. For instance on Lalitha Mahal Palace Road at the Kuruburahalli Circle junction where the four roads converge, there is a Mantap erected with Lotus design adorning the top. The golden-hued Lotus-headed Mantap does attract eyeballs. But there is a problem here as the Lotus almost covers the signal lights on all four sides.

The irony is that the Siddarathanagar Traffic Police Station is adjacent to the Circle but the Traffic Police seem to have no problem with this design almost masking the traffic signals.

A view of the Kurubarhalli Circle on Lalitha Mahal Road. A Mantap erected at the Circle with a Lotus design on top masks the traffic signals on the busy stretch.

Serial lights on trees

The other issue is about the serial light sets strung on trees near Manasagangothri Open Air Theatre, next to Maharaja’s College Grounds, Chamaraja Double Road and many other places. This not only disturbs the birds as the trees are their natural habitat and resting place during the nights, but the hanging serial light sets could also pose a danger.

The main reason for this is the selfie craze that has gripped the entire world. Youngsters and even elderly citizens are seen standing before this hanging serial light sets and taking selfies, unmindful of the dangers of electricity shocks.

But the workers connected with the job of putting up these lights when asked, nonchalantly reply that there will be no danger if these serial set lights are touched. However, the wires connecting them are hanging on the trees decorating them and there is no way this problem can be ignored.