Mega Siddaramotsava today, 6 lakh to attend

DEVANAGARI: The stage is set for the 75th birthday celebration of Congress Legislature Party leader Siddaramaiah here on Wednesday. While lakhs of people are expected on Wednesday, many landed on Tuesday itself. While 4.5 lakh chairs have been placed at the venue, over 6 lakh are expected to attend, organisers said. Over 1,500 cooks have been commissioned to prepare bisibele bath, Mysuru pak and other dishes for those attending the mega event.

In all, 16 DySPs, 118 police inspectors, 360 police sub-inspectors, 354 ASIs, 2,796 police constables, KSRP, DAR police, Homeguards and volunteers have been deployed to ensure tight security. The police, who have taken over security at the venue, have fixed CCTVs at strategic spots to monitor the movement of people. Drone cameras from Davanagere, Chitradurga and Shivamogga districts will be deployed during the function.

As the programme is being held adjacent to the Pune-Bengaluru National Highway, the police have marked several parking zones for hundreds of vehicles. Except for heavy vehicles, all other light motor vehicles and buses are being diverted to the Old Pune-Bengaluru road through Davangere city, said SP CB Ryshyanth. People are expected to arrive in hundreds of buses and over 30,000 vehicles.

Soon after the programme ends, Siddaramaiah will visit Kaginele Mutt’s Belludi branch and meet Niranjanandapuri Swamiji. On his way back to Bengaluru, he will stop over at Taralabalu Mutt at Sirigere and Murugharajendra Brihanmutt at Chitradurga and pay obeisance to the swamijis. A song, Mysuru Huliya... Self-Made Siddanna -- written by Chethan Kumar and sung by Girija Siddi and Ravindra Soragavi, praising various welfare programmes introduced by Siddaramaiah when CM, will be released at the event.