Temporary set up till Varamahalakshmi festival

Mysore/Mysuru: With the Mysuru City Corporation (MCC) ordering temporary shifting of Devaraja Market flower vendors, anticipating heavy rush at the market with the start of the festival season, the J.K. Grounds today was a beehive of activity as the shifted flower vendors readily starting their business from early morning today.

Due to COVID-19 pandemic, the MCC, as a crowd-control measure, had ordered  temporary shifting of flower vendors of Devaraja Market to nearby J.K. Grounds, close to the City Railway Station for three days from July 29 to 31.

Once the order was out yesterday, the flower vendors started making preparations for temporary relocation to the more spacious J.K. Grounds (Jeevarayana Katte) by erecting makeshift stalls and sheds. 

Nearly 100 flower vendors were seen doing business at the grounds today with people from all localities thronging the venue for purchase of flowers required for the festival season that starts with Varamahalakshmi festival on July 31. 

With COVID-19 regulation measures in place, the vendors were required to maintain physical distancing among themselves, wearing of face masks and use of hand sanitisers and other measures.

The jurisdictional Devaraja Police personnel have been deployed at the venue as thousands of people are expected to visit the grounds for flower purchase in the next three days. The MCC has set up mobile toilets and drinking water facilities.

MCC Commissioner Gurudatta Hegde said that the MCC, anticipating huge crowds at the Devaraja Market with the start of the festival season, decided to shift the flower vendors of the market to the more sprawling J.K. Grounds.The shifting was ordered as a crowd control measure to stop the spread of the deadly COVID-19 pandemic. 

Mysuru is reporting a big number of cases almost every day, he said and added that the vendors have been directed to follow all measures such as physical distancing, wearing of face mask and use of hand sanitisiers, not only by them, but also more importantly the people visiting the venue. He further said that basic civic amenities such as toilets and drinking water have been provided at the venue.

It may be mentioned here that as a measure to stop the spread of COVID-19, the MCC had shut down five major markets in the heart of the city — Devaraja Market, Shivarampet, Santhepet, Mannars Market and Boti Bazar (Mutton Market) for four days from June 25, 2020, during which the markets wer completely cleaned, sanitised, fumigated and disinfected.