Ara: Elaborate arrangements have been made for the160th Victory Day celebrations scheduled to be held at Dulaur village, 1km from Jagdishpur, the birthplace of Veer Babu Kunwar Singh, the hero of the First War of Independence.

This year, the Victory Day will be celebrated from April 23 to April 25.

Chief minister Nitish Kumar will inaugurate the function. The Bhojpur district administration also made foolproof security arrangements for the purpose.

Jagdishpur block development officer (BDO) Prabhakar Kumar said the stage, the pandal, Swiss cottages, gates, triumphal arches, playgrounds and other structures are ready at the Veer Kunwar Singh Village, set up on an area with a radius of 25 acres for the occasion at Dulaur. Two hundred artists and masons of Royal Pushkar Company, Ajmer, set up the village in 25 days.

A 70ftx40ft main stage has been made from where chief minister Nitish Kumar will address people under a 350ftx140ft fire-proof and water-proof pandal under a German hangar system to accommodate at least 10,000 people.

At least 24 Swiss air-conditioned 20ftx12ft tents equipped with many facilities are ready. The BDO said artistes from Varanasi clad in sepoy and Kuer Singh uniforms will take out a shobha yatra from Shivpur Ghat to Jagdishpur Fort, 30km away, on April 23.

The BDO said debate, painting, drawing, kabaddi, horse-riding, horse show, javelin throw and wrestling competitions have been organised to mark the occasion.

Folk singer Malini Awasthi and Bhojpuri singer Bharat Singh will take part in a cultural programme organised on the occasion. Over 2,000 police personnel and magistrates besides 750 NCC cadets will be deployed to maintain law and order and hand-held metal detectors, doorframe metal detectors and sniffer dogs will be used.