Good news for devotees looking to visit Dakshineswar temple during this Kali Puja. On Nov 5, a day prior to Kali Puja, the 400 metre-long skywalk to the temple will be inaugurated by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
Thousands of devotees come to offer prayers in the temple during the puja, which creates severe traffic congestion every year at the narrow stretch of Rani Rashmoni Road, which has rows of shops on both sides. Devotees approaching the temple used to struggle walking down that road.
The 10 metre-wide skywalk aims to make it convenient for pedestrians to enter the temple compound from Dakshineswar station. There will be escalators, elevators, and staircases for easier embarking and disembarking. The road under the skywalk will be open for vehicular traffic, which will ease the congestion to a great extent.
Mamata Banerjee herself announced this project during a visit to the temple in 2015, but it got stalled initially due to the shopkeepers’ resistance. But the project picked up speed later.
Most of the project work got completed in the last month, except the weight test. The weight test had also been done before Mahalaya.
Kushal Chaudhury, Trustee and Secretary of Dakshineswar Temple said, “I think there will be no traffic congestion in the approaching road to the temple for the next 50 years after the skywalk gets operational.”
“The 150-year history of the Dakshineswar temple will be highlighted to the devotees through light and sound effects, which will also be inaugurated by the Chief Minister on that day,” said he further.
Gopal Saha, Chairman of the Kamarhatati Municipality said, “We have spoken to the urban development minister Firad Hakim minister on the inauguration of the project. He spoke to the Chief Minister and she has given the green signal for it. The date of inauguration has now been set for the afternoon on November 5.”