Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: Lakhs of followers of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj thronged Kranti Chowk on Wednesday to pay homage to Shivaji Maharaj on Shiv Jayanti.
Numerous followers paid homage to Shivaji Maharaj, from Tuesday evening to Wednesday midnight. Two-wheeler and four-wheeler rallies from various colonies in the city were reaching Kranti Chowk throughout the day to celebrate Shivaji's birth anniversary.
To avoid traffic congestion, the police had banned vehicles from entering for half a kilometre from the square. Due to this, the followers who had come in a vehicle rally were walking to Kranti Chowk and paying their homage to Shivaji.
Chhatrapati Sena from Kailasnagar took out a procession from Kailasnagar to Kranti Chowk. Shiv Janmotsav Samiti President Rahul Gaikwad and Vice President Vijay Gaikwad took the initiative for the procession.
The Maratha Business Network took out a vehicle rally from Shahanurmiya Dargah premises to Government Dairy Chowk. The participants of the rally there entered Kranti Chowk in a procession and paid homage to Shivaji Maharaj. Ram Pawar, Arun Pere, Sandesh Kadam, Vijay Suryavanshi, Vaibhav Bodkhe and Harshali Deshmukh took the efforts.
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Various organisations established stages in Kranti Chowk
A stage was set up by the Uddhav Sena at Kranti Chowk. Uddhav Sena's Haribhau Hivale, Rajendra Danve and office bearers of the Women's Front were sitting on the forum. There were various stages of Yuva Mathrubhoomi Pratishthan, Jai Shivarai Jai Bhimrai Mahotsav Samiti, and Hindustan Malak Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Janmotsav Samiti in front of Sena’s stage.
Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Municipal Corporation also had a separate stage. Four stages of the city police were established at Kranti Chowk. Senior police officers, employees and the QRT team were keeping a close watch on the crowd.