Public Holiday Declared In This UP City On Tuesday: Govt Offices, Schools Closed - Here's Why

(MENAFN- Live Mint) Residents of Uttar Pradesh's Chitrakoot district will get an extra day off on Tuesday as the district administration has declared a local public holiday for the Diwali Amavasya Mela. The decision comes amid preparations for the five-day religious fair, which draws large numbers of devotees to the pilgrimage town.

According to reports, District Magistrate (DM) Pulkit Garg issued an order declaring November 10 a holiday across the district. Government offices, schools and colleges will remain closed on Tuesday. Copies of the order have been circulated to all concerned departments, and officials have been warned of action for non-compliance.

Quick answers to key questions

.5 QUESTIONS1Why was a public holiday declared in Chitrakoot on November 10?⌵

The district administration declared the holiday to facilitate arrangements and activities for the Diwali Amavasya Mela, a five-day annual fair held in Chitrakoot from November 6 to 10.

2Are schools and government offices closed in Chitrakoot on November 10?⌵

Yes. Government offices, schools and colleges across Chitrakoot district were ordered to remain closed on Tuesday, November 10.

3Are banks closed everywhere in India on November 10?⌵

No. Bank holidays vary by city. The RBI calendar listed closures on November 10 in Ahmedabad, Belapur, Bengaluru, Dehradun, Gangtok, Mumbai and Nagpur, while branches in other cities were scheduled to operate as usual.

4What is the Diwali Amavasya Mela in Chitrakoot?⌵

It is an annual five-day religious fair held in Chitrakoot. The district holiday was announced to support arrangements and activities related to the fair.

5Can customers use online banking when bank branches are closed for a regional holiday?⌵

Yes. Internet and mobile banking, UPI and ATM services generally remain available for routine transactions. Services that require an in-person branch visit are unavailable while branches are closed.

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The holiday has been announced to facilitate arrangements and activities related to the Diwali Amavasya Mela, the order stated.

Preparations underway for Diwali Amavasya Mela

Preparations for the annual fair, which is held in Chitrakoot, a religious town associated with Lord Ram, have been underway for several days. The five-day annual fair is being organised this year from November 6 to 10. Administrations in both Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh are overseeing arrangements on their respective sides of the town, according to reports.

Recently, Satna Collector Dr Satish Kumar S and Superintendent of Police Hansraj Singh visited Chitrakoot to review the preparations. During their inspection, they visited Bharat Ghat, Raghav Prayag Ghat, the pontoon bridge, Utara Bridge, Hanuman Dhara and the fair market area under the Chitrakoot Municipal Council.

The collector also directed tourism department officials to conduct a special cleanliness drive at the ghats and surrounding areas. He further asked the municipal council to repaint the railings at Utara Bridge and the ghats to improve their appearance.

Security and crowd management are among the administration's key priorities. Around 1,000 police personnel have been assigned duties for the fair. In addition, teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF ), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and Home Guards have been deployed to assist with crowd management and emergency rescue operations.

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Last week, teachers' organisations urged the Uttar Pradesh government to declare November 7 (Saturday) and November 10 (Tuesday) public holidays. This year, November 7 is observed as Narak Chaturdashi, while November 10 is celebrated as Govardhan Puja. The organisations argued that the absence of holidays on these occasions would make it difficult for people to celebrate the five-day Diwali festival with their families.

Shiv Shankar Singh, state president of the National Educational Federation, Uttar Pradesh (Primary Wing), and its general secretary, Pradeep Tiwari, had written to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, seeking public holidays on both days.

They said that keeping November 7 and 10 as working days would create difficulties for teachers, government employees and students wishing to celebrate the festivals with their families. While Narak Chaturdashi was declared a holiday last year, no such announcement had been made this time.

The organisations also pointed out that November 10, falling before Bhai Dooj, had not been declared a holiday for Govardhan Puja. They argued that keeping schools open on the day would make it difficult for students and their families to celebrate the festival.

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