Candles & crackers: Noida, Ghaziabad in festive mood

Diwali came early for residents of Noida and Ghaziabad as they lit candles, organised pujas, planted saplings and burst crackers to celebrate the bhoomi pujan ceremony of Ram temple in Ayodhya.
While Dadri MLA Tejpal Nagar planted saplings, MP Mahesh Sharma and Noida MLA Pankaj Singh took part in hawan at Sanatan temple in Sector 19 and Jewar MLA Dhirendra Singh participated in a hawan organised by Shri Ram Lila Committee in Greater Noida where he handed over a cheque of Rs 1.1 lakh for the temple constructing in Ayodhya.
Even as the RWA federation also light 251 diyas at its office in Sector 52 and BJP’s Bisrakh wing lit one lakh diyas in the evening, residents across the city came out in large numbers and celebrated the occasion with festivities and pujas all day.
“Soon people from all over the world will get the privilege of visiting the grand temple in Ayodhya,” said Jewar MLA Dhirendra Singh who handed over a cheque of Rs 1.11 lakh to Shri Ram Lila Committee in Greater Noida for the construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya. Manjit Singh, president of the committee said that only a limited number of people were invited, so that social distancing could be followed. “After the havan, 11 kg laddoo and kheer prasad was distributed and 21 saplings were planted in Ramlila Maidan in Greater Noida,” Singh said.
Yogendra Sharma, president of Federation of Noida Residents Welfare Associations (FONRWA), said, that on the occasion, they lit 251 lamps and sang bhajan.
Ghaziabad MP and Union MoS for road, transport and highways Gen (retd) VK Singh early in the day visited city’s famous Hanuman temple at Chaupla along with local BJP leaders where he offered prayers. He said that this was a “momentous occasion”.
Mayor Asha Sharma lit her office with earthen lamps and decorated it with banners and festoons. “We are ushering in a new era and it is like Diwali to us,” she said.
Saket Sinha, a resident of Indirapuram, said, “We burst crackers and prayed in the temple in the society. This is an unforgettable day.”
Meanwhile, even as politicians from different outfits, including MPs and the MLA performed hawan ceremonies and participated in celebrations were on, social distancing norms were violated. At least 30-40 people had gathered at the Sanatan Dharm Mandir in Sector 19 where the hawan ceremony was performed in presence of the MPs. Although politicians did wear masks, social distancing was not witnessed here.
At the Sanatan Dharma mandir, while all the leaders and organisers could be seen wearing masks, most sat at a distance less than 2m.
At another programme organised by the workers of the BJYM Noida unit at the Hanuman Mandir in Barola on Wednesday where after recital of sermons, 1,001 lamps were lit and 111 kg kilogrammes of laddus were distributed even as Prasad distribution is against the Covid protocols.
Videos of locals dancing and singing to drum beats in Bhangel area also went viral.
In Dankaur, pictures of local Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha leaders placing saffron flags with “Jai Shri Ram” written on it and distributing sweets went viral and the place was crowded with scores of people.
Sanjay Bali, representative for MP Mahesh Sharma said that around 30-40 people were present at the temple. “I don’t have much information about the event at Hanuman Mandir at Barola,” he said.
Ramniwas Yadav, the Noida unit coordinator for BJYU told TOI that when the workers were distributing prasad, they had their hands wrapped with cloth.