Udaipur Illuminates for Grand Diwali

On Diwali, Udaipur is set to shine brightly with the first-ever city-wide lighting display, enhancing tourism and commerce. The district administration has undertaken the task of illuminating the entire city with radiant lights to usher in a new dimension to the tourism and business activities on the auspicious occasion of Diwali. The Udaipur Development Authority and the Municipal Corporation initiated preparations for this grand illumination two months prior, and the decorating process has already commenced.

This year, the budget allocated for Diwali decorations is approximately 20 million rupees, a significant increase from the usual 1.5 to 2 million rupees spent annually on Diwali decorations. While in previous years, the municipal authorities focused on illuminating specific areas, this time, they are spreading the festive spirit across the entire city with an estimated 15 to 20 kilometers of lighting.

In a meeting held on Wednesday, District Collector Arvind Poswal reviewed the preparations and provided essential directives to officials from the Municipal Corporation and Udaipur Development Authority. The meeting was attended by Municipal Commissioner Vasudev Malavat, UDA Secretary Rajesh Joshi, Tourism Deputy Director Shikha Saxena, UDA Engineer Anit Mathur, Municipal Corporation Executive Engineer Ritesh Patidar, UDA Engineer Ashish, and Narendra.

The District Collector emphasized that Diwali is a symbol of harmony and brightness, and the city will be brilliantly illuminated from November 9th to November 15th, spreading the same theme throughout. This city-wide decoration will boost enthusiasm among local residents for the Festival of Lights. Additionally, it is expected to deliver a positive message to tourists, especially those visiting from Gujarat and abroad during the Diwali holiday. Increased tourist arrivals will provide a significant boost to local businesses.

Key locations such as Fatehsagar Lake and Fatehpura Chauraha have been specifically highlighted for decoration. UDA has been entrusted with the responsibility of illuminating these locations. They will use high-intensity lights on both sides of Fatehsagar Lake's promenade, along with LED rope lights on the five umbrellas on the lake. Furthermore, they will create an attractive display covering a distance of about 15-20 kilometers across the city.

The Municipal Corporation has been given the responsibility to decorate various heritage gates such as Udiapole, Surajpole, Kishanpole, Delhi Gate, Hathi Pole, Satta Pole, Chandpole, Amba Pole, and Brahmapole, along with Brahmapole Bridge and Amba Pole Bridge. They will also decorate key roadways and circles in the city.

To promote local businesses and encourage community participation, a new initiative has been introduced in the form of a competition for the best-decorated welcome gates. This initiative involves meetings with prominent tent business owners on Thursday, who will be assigned locations by the Municipal Corporation to enhance their respective tents and create an attractive welcome gate. Prizes of INR 71,000 and INR 51,000 will be awarded to the first and second winners, respectively, for their efforts in decorating the welcome gates during the Diwali festivities.