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Tag: Ujjain

  • After UP, Ujjain Shop Owners Told To Display Names, Contact Numbers; Rs 2,000 Fine For Violation |

    BHOPAL: The BJP-ruled Ujjain Municipal Corporation has directed shop owners to display their names and mobile numbers outside their establishments in the ancient city, a directive coming on the heels of a similar order by the BJP government in UP for eateries along the Kanwar Yatra route. Violators will have to pay a Rs 2,000 fine for the first offence and Rs 5,000 if they defy this order for the second time, Ujjain Mayor Mukesh Tatwal said on Saturday. This order is aimed at ensuring safety and transparency and not intended to target Muslim shop-keepers, the mayor said. 

    Ujjain, the hometown of Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, is known for its sacred Mahakal temple, attracting devotees from around the globe, especially during the Savaan month, which starts on Monday. Tatwal said the Mayor-in-Council of Ujjain had approved a proposal for shopkeepers to display their names on September 26, 2002, followed by the Corporation House, and subsequently sent it to the state government for objections and formalities. 

    “All formalities have been already completed. The implementation was delayed as the nameplates were initially required to be of the same size and colour. Now, we have relaxed these terms. Displaying the names and mobile numbers of shopkeepers will suffice,” he told PTI over the phone. He stressed that the measure is rooted in the MP Shop Establishment Act or Gumasta License, and it serves to enhance customer safety. 

    “Ujjain is a religious and holy city. People come here with religious aastha (faith). They have the right to know about the shopkeeper whose services they are availing. If a customer is dissatisfied or cheated, knowing the shopkeeper’s details allows them to seek redress,” the mayor said. 

    Ujjain is set to host the Simhastha (Kumbh) Mela in 2028, a significant religious fair held every 12 years. This action mirrors the recent directive in Uttar Pradesh, where all eateries along the Kanwar Yatra route were asked to display owners’ names. The Uttar Pradesh government extended this order statewide on Friday, while Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said similar instructions are already in place his state. The order has faced criticism from opposition parties and some members of the ruling alliance, who argue it targets Muslim traders.

  • Mahakal Temple Fire: 14 Injured, CM Announces Assistance Of Rs 1 Lakh Each, Free Treatment |

    Ujjain: Fourteen priests, including ‘sevaks’ (assistants), were injured in a fire that broke out in the Mahakal Temple in Ujjain in Madhya Pradesh on Monday during ‘bhasma aarti’, an official said.

    The blaze took place in the ‘garbha griha’ (sanctum sanctorum) of the temple at 5:50am, Ujjain Collector Neeraj Kumar Singh said.

    “Fourteen priests suffered burn injuries. Some are being treated in the district hospital here, while eight have sought treatment in Indore. A magisterial probe has been ordered. It will be conducted by Zila Panchayat CEO Mrinal Meena and Additional Collector Anukool Jain and a report will be submitted in three days,” he said.

    “The fire started as ‘gulal’ (coloured powder used during rituals) fell on the puja thali that contained burning ‘kapoor’ (camphor). It later spread on the floor and turned into a blaze,” he said.

    In a post on social media platform X, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, “The incident that happened in Mahakal temple of Ujjain is very painful. I wish for the speedy recovery of all the devotees injured in this incident. The local administration is engaged in every possible help to the victims under the supervision of the state government.”

    Talking to reporters in Bhopal, Chief Minister Mohan Yadav said clothes are put on the silver walls of the garbha griha to protect it from Holi colours, and it is not known whether the fire started after the ‘aarti thali’ fell when ‘gulaal’ was thrown on it or whether the ‘gulal’ reacted to some chemical.

    Yadav, speaking to reporters after arriving in Ujjain, said the injured will be given assistance of Rs 1 lakh each as well as the best available treatment for free.

    The administration will take all efforts to ensure such an incident does not take place again, the CM added.

    “Our first priority is to provide best treatment to the injured. There is no casualty by the grace of Mahakal. Doctors are facing a problem in finding burn injuries due to (Holi) colour on the skin,” Yadav said.

    The incident has been captured by CCTV cameras installed in the temple, an official said.

    “The fire started after gulal was thrown as part of a ritual on the occasion of Holi. It caused burn injuries to priests, who were rushed to the district hospital,” priest Ashish told reporters.

    A large number of people, including some VVIPs, were present during the incident in the Nandi Hall in front of the sanctum sanctorum, but no injuries were reported among the devotees, officials said.

    Meanwhile Dr Vinod Bhandari, president of Indore-based Sri Aurobindo Institute of Medical Sciences (SAIMS), told PTI eight of the injured have been admitted at his facility.

    “The eight persons have suffered 35 to 40 percent burn injuries, and the condition of one of them is serious,” he said.

    State Urban Development and Housing Minister Kailash Vijayvargiya reached SAIMS and inquired about the condition of the injured persons.

    In a post on X, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said he had spoken to the MP CM over the incident and said the local administration was ensuring all relief to the injured.