Kamal Ghorui
Biharsharif: With less than a week remaining for the commencement of the month-long Malmas Mela in Rajgir, the Nalanda district administration has intensified preparations for the mega religious congregation expected to draw more than three crore devotees from across the country.The Malmas Mela will be held from May 17 to June 15 at Rajgir. Organised once every three years during the Hindu calendar of Adhik Maas, the fair holds immense religious significance as devotees believe several deities reside in Rajgir during the sacred period.An official said the estimated turnout has been projected on the basis of around 3.12 crore pilgrims visiting the 2023 Malmas Mela.Nalanda DM Kundan Kumar, SP Bharat Soni and other senior district officials review the preparations almost on a daily basis to ensure foolproof arrangement, especially after nine people lost their lives in a stampede at a Nalanda temple recently.The administration has planned elaborate security arrangements at Brahmakund, Saptdhara, Shanti Stupa, Nature and Zoo Safari, and other important religious and tourist destinations. Additional police deployment, CCTV surveillance, temporary mela police stations, control rooms and emergency response systems are being put in place.Temporary accommodation centres and parking facilities are also being developed across Rajgir for devotees and tourists.Authorities have directed hotelowners, e-rickshaw operators and roadside vendors to follow guidelines of district administration during the mela period.Rajgir Zoo Safari director Hemant Patil said special arrangements for crowd regulation, manpower deployment and visitor management are being finalised to handle the anticipated rush during the mela.
