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Hyderabad: The police on Sunday created a two-kilometre radial cordon around the Ujjaini Mahankali temple in Secunderabad to prevent entry of vehicles and make the roads safe for the lakhs of people on the occasion of Bonalu Jatara.
Besides the city police, paramilitary armed forces were also deployed to ensure the security of devotees and VIPs.
The police said vehicular traffic was disallowed on all sub-lanes and by-lanes connecting the SP Road, RP Road and MG Road, with only temple visitors allowed to pass through.
Most shops in Ranigunj, Nallakunta, Pot Market, Monda Market, Boats Club, Kavadiguda, DBR Mills, Bansilalpet and Nallakunta were shut.
"Parking arrangements were enforced from midnight on Sunday and will continue till the conclusion of Jatara on Monday," city police commissioner C.V. Anand said.
Commuters who were unaware of the restrictions were caught by surprise, but said that the traffic police guided them to alternative routes.
"I had to go to Raniganj to meet my relative and I was confused by the restrictions. Near Paradise, I asked a woman constable for an alternative road, and she told me to take the Nallakunta road via Sindhi Colony to enter Ranigunj," G. Anuradha, who works as a nurse at a government hospital, said.
Traffic was also restricted at Karbala Maidan, Ranigunj, Old Ramgopalpet police station CTO, Paradise Circle, Plaza, YMCA junction, St John’s Rotary, Sangeeth Crossroads, Patny Crossroads, Park Lane, Bata Road, Ghasmandi Crossroads, Bible House Road, Ministers Road and Rasoolpura junction.
Visitors to the city who were on their way to the railway station got stuck in a traffic jam at Monda Market, Gopalapuram.
"We were not aware about the traffic diversions in the city. We were supposed to go to SR Nagar due to traffic congestion. Our driver took us to SR Nagar via JBS, Bowenpally and Sanathnagar. We were allowed to exit from platform number 10 of Chilkalguda as the main entrance and exit were crowded," Gurdeep Singh, a visitor, said.
Traffic congestion prevailed on approach roads to the temple, as traffic was shut off from Tobacco Bazaar and Hill Street. The stretch of Subhash Road, starting from Bata Crossroads to old Ramgopalpet PS, was barricaded and temple visitors were allowed to park their vehicles in the by-lanes.
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