WEATHER WATCH
The weatherman has warned of a wet Puja. A cyclonic circulation has developed over the Bangladesh coast, bringing in moisture from the Bay of Bengal. Under its influence, there is a possibility of scattered thundershowers on all Puja days. Moreover, monsoon is yet to withdraw from the state.
NO ENTRY
The following roads will be closed to all vehicular traffic between 4pm and midnight on Sashthi; from 4pm to 2am on Saptami; between 4pm and 4am on Ashtami; and from 4pm to 4am on Navami.
North Calcutta:
Aurobindo Sarani (APC Roy Road to JM Avenue)
Simla Street
BK Pal Avenue (Nimtala Ghat Street to Rabindra Sarani)
Bankim Chatterjee Street
Kailash Bose Street
Garpar Road
Kaiser Street (from APC Roy Road)
Raja Manindra Road (BT Road to Manmatha Dutta Road)
Sukeas Street, as and when required
Raja Rammohan Roy Sarani
Central Calcutta:
BB Ganguly Street (Raja Rammohan Roy Sarani to the Sealdah flyover)
Colootola Street (College Street to CR Avenue)
Dixon Lane
Hidaram Banerjee Lane
Taltala Avenue
Surya Sen Street (College Street to MG Road, except buses and trams between Raja Rammohan Roy Sarani and MG Road)
Singhi Lane and Baranoshi Ghosh Second Lane (Tarak Pramanik Road to Vivekananda Road)
Sambhu Chatterjee Street
Sashibhusan Dey Street (from its junction with Rammohan Roy Sarani and BB Ganguly Street)
Tara Chand Dutta Street (CR Avenue to Rabidra Sarani)
Canning Street (Rabindra Sarani to CR Avenue)
Eden Hospital Road (CR Avenue to College Street)
South Calcutta:
Charu Avenue
Dover Lane (Gariahat Road to Dover Place)
Ekdalia Road (Gariahat Road to Mandeville Gardens)
Jodhpur Park Second Lane
Kali Temple Road
Kalighat Road
SP Mukherjee Road-Tapan Chatterjee Avenue crossing
Suren Thakur Road
Hem Chandra Street
Karl Marx Sarani (Kidderpore bridge to Satya Doctor Road)
Paharpur Road
Manasatala Lane (Circular Garden Reach Road to Diamond Harbour Road, as and when required)
Lake Place
Library Road
Mahim Halder Street
SECURITY ALERT
Do not carry bags, plastic packets and tiffin boxes during pandal hopping; police may check these.
Leave a piece of paper with your name and contact number on your parked vehicle so that the police can contact you if the vehicle needs to be moved.
Bicycles won’t be allowed near major puja pandals during day or night.
Do not accept any packet from a stranger.
HELPLINES
Lalbazar control room: 22143230
Traffic control room: 22143644
Traffic police: 9830010000/9830811111
Crime control room: 22505000, extension: 5155 and 1091
Missing persons squad: 28610491, extension 5153
Child helpline: 1096
Senior citizen helpline: 9830088884
Fire brigade: 22521165/22523170
CESC: 22363074/22383075
CMC control room: 22861212/22861313
Airport (domestic): 25118318
Airport (international): 25119172
Sealdah enquiry: 23503535-37
Howrah enquiry: 26387412/26383542/ 26382581
Vodafone helpline: 9830611111/ 9830010000
Airtel helpline: 9831010000
BSNL helpline: 9433094330
Automobile Association of Eastern India (for breakdown and other services): 24865131-33
MEDICAL SERVICES
Health control room (state government): 18003455533 (toll-free)/22650000
Medical helpline (Calcutta police): 9830079999
Ambulance:
South End Polyclinic: 24662433
Life Care: 24754628
Diganta: 24745455
South Calcutta Nurses Bureau: 24160992
Medical Bank: 25540084/9831062157
Kumartuli Institute: 25305561
Health Care: 24845338
DECIBEL BAR
In commercial areas, noise should be limited to 65 decibels during day and 55 at night. In residential areas, the limit is 55 decibels during day and 45 at night. Use of sound-limiter mandatory at all pandals. Microphones can be used only for announcements between 10pm and 6am. Noise-making crackers banned by the West Bengal Pollution Control Board (5 metres from the point where a cracker is burst, the noise should not exceed 90 decibels). Pollution control board teams will be on vigil in Calcutta and adjoining areas.
To lodge a complaint, call the pollution control board headquarters control room: 23353913/0663/8212
TAXI
Available round-the-clock from Sashthi to Dashami. Taxis for pandal-hopping can be booked at Rs 120 per hour for a minimum of four hours. Senior citizens will get a 10 per cent discount. For bookings visit Taxi Control Room at 63/3B Sarat Bose Road, Calcutta 700025 (ground floor of Bank of Baroda building) between 10am and 5pm. For information and to lodge complaints, call 24742249/24753505. Salt Lake residents can book taxis at 9339775463.
Kolkata Cabs: Dial 44222222/44333222 to book air-conditioned taxis at Rs 900 for 6 hours to Rs 3,600 for an entire day. Around 100 taxis will be available round-the-clock from October 5 to 10.
METRO RAILWAY
Saptami: 2pm to midnight (Frequency 2pm to 4pm: 15 minute; 4pm and 11pm: 10 minute; 11pm to midnight: 15 minute.
Ashtami, Navami: (Frequency 2pm to 6pm: 10 minute; 6pm and 10pm: 8 minute; 10pm to midnight: 10 minute; midnight to 2am: 15 minute; 2am to 4am: 20 minute)
Dashami: (Frequency 3pm to 6pm: 15 minute; 6pm and 9pm: 10 minute)
SONG & DANCE
Dandiya: At Nicco Park from Sunday to Wednesday, 7pm onwards.
At Netaji Indoor Stadium till Wednesday, 8pm onwards
TIPPLE TIPS
Ashtami: Shops closed till 3pm. Hotels and bars below three-star category will serve alcohol after 3pm. No restriction on hotels and bars of three-star category or above.
Dashami: Shops closed after 4pm. No restriction on clubs, hotels and bars.
No restriction on Saptami and Navami.
festive feel
True Sprit
CESC The Telegraph True Spirit Puja tour starts on Sashthi with judges checking out 257 pujas in Calcutta, Salt Lake and Howrah. The criteria for judgment are ecological concern, social sensitivity and care for visitors.
Hand In Hand
From dhunuchi naach to antakshari and Puja quiz to housie, The Telegraph Hand In Hand will bring the traditional and the trendy in 105 housing estates across Calcutta and its suburbs.
RIGHT CLICK
Log on to www.anandautsav.com for a complete virtual guide to this year’s Puja. Navigate your way to the most happening mandaps in the city with the help of the online Puja map, tune into the virtual Puja adda, catch up on video and still photographs of pandals, enjoy short films on Kumartuli, dhakis and Puja 2007, send sharadiya e-cards, read graphic rendition of Bengali classics, tickle your funny bone with Tenida comics and the latest edition of the hilarious animation film, Mahishasur Pala.
Picture by Pabitra Das
