– Many facilities including Kashi Dwar, ramp, shamiana were started for the first time

– Security will be tight, CCTV will be used for monitoring
– For the first time, devotees will get entry from Silko Gate also

Varanasi. In view of the preparations for the first Monday of Sawan, Divisional Commissioner Kaushal Raj Sharma held a meeting with the officials in the Commissionerate Auditorium on Sunday. In which he gave instructions to the officials regarding the preparations. Additional Police Commissioner S.S. Chinnappa, DCP Security Shri Suryakant Tripathi, Chief Executive Officer Shri Kashi Vishwanath Temple Vishwa Bhushan, A.D.M. Protocol Prakash Chandra, A.D.C.P. Mamta Rani, Senior Officer CRPF, related Assistant Police Commissioner and other PAC officers and all the related officers of the Trust and the Magistrates posted for duty were present in the meeting.

In the meeting, all the departments were directed to implement all the basic facilities provided to the devotees at Shri Kashi Vishwanath Dham, such as availability of drinking water in the Dham, medical management, crowd management, PA system, cleanliness of the entire Dham etc. on a wide scale. In view of security in the Dham, instructions were also given to complete the arrangements related to smooth operation of all electrical equipment CCTV. Apart from this, instructions were given to tie up the hanging electrical wires in the streets outside the Dham.

It was discussed in the meeting that this year many arrangements are being made for the first time for the safety and convenience of the devotees in Sawan. In which a special gate for Kashi residents, Gate 4B has been made from the side of Godaulia adjacent to Gate No. 4. In the meeting, it was decided regarding Kashi residents that their darshan was being tested from Gate 4B (Kashi Dwar) which went smoothly, in view of this, this arrangement is being implemented in the month of Sawan except Monday dates and other festival dates, which will be implemented from Tuesday.

For Kashi residents, the facility of Sparsh Darshan will be available from 4 am to 5 am and Jhoki Darshan from 4 pm to 5 pm every day except Sawan Monday and festival days. This gate will be made available for all Kashi residents including regular visitors on normal days except Sawan Monday and other festival special days. For entry through this gate, Aadhar card with Kashi's registered address, voter ID card, EPIC card, driving license etc. ID cards will be valid. Hence, no payment based entry pass will be required.

Apart from this, for the first time this year, Gate 4A (via Silko Gali) has been made for entry towards Maidagin, before Gate No. 4 for Darshan. This year, for the first time, in order to reduce the pressure of crowd in special circumstances at Saraswati Gate entrance, arrangements have been made to make the extra crowd sit on the ramp at Saraswati Park. Along with the zig-zag arrangement on this entry route, shade has also been arranged to protect from the heat. At all such places where it is not possible to put up German hangers, shade has been ensured for the first time by arranging shamianas.

Similarly, for the first time in this month of Sawan, the facility of live darshan of Shri Kashi Vishwanath Mahadev's darshan-pujan will also be available. Live darshan will be streamed from the temple trust's website, the temple trust's official YouTube channel and the official broadcast partner Tata Sky's platform. For the first time this year, effective arrangements are being made to prevent barricade defacement due to crowd pressure by tying barricade logs on both the top and bottom of the zig zag railing. Railings have also been installed on the steep stairs from the ghat side for the convenience and safety of the devotees. This new arrangement has also been made this year. So that the devotees standing in queue can get relief from humidity and heat through industrial air coolers.

Among other facilities, like every year, there will be provision of cold drinking water in the entire Dham area at regular intervals. Arrangements have also been made for medical management and availability of ORS and glucose as per requirement.