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ShareAhmedabad, Ahmedabad: This year, thousands of devotees of Goddess Umiya arriving at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad to visit Unjha, are going to get a whole new experience.
Visitors will be greeted by a group of local music band along with several devotees will be greeting them in traditional Gujarati attire singing in praise of the Goddess with Dhol-Manjira. The organisers of the four-day festival have sought the permission from Airport Authority of India (AAI) officials in this regard.
At Unjha, the 18th Shatabdi Rajat Jayanti Mahotsav of Umiya Mata and Sahstrachandi Mahayagna will be held between November 28 and December 2. According to estimates, 45 lakh devotees are expected to attend the festival.
According to organizers, about 2,500 devotees are arriving at city airport daily from different places. They said that from November 28 to December 2, the visitors will be greeted at the city airport with chandan-tika and divine music. There will be two information desks set up to guide visitors to the temple.
"We haven't done it before. There is a need to receive and welcome the devotees in much organised way so that they do not face any problem on their way to the temple. For this reason we have asked the AAI officials to allow us to install travel desk and hoardings depicting the information," said one of the members of the organising team. A highly placed source said that the Gujarat government's tourism department is also helping in the effort. The department has asked their employees to help and guide visitors at the airport.
The tourism counter at the airport will be set up to see that visitors do not face any properly and reach the destination safely. However, according to airport sources, the plan may change owing to security reasons. "We will give permission to bring two people to greet the passengers inside the airport but allowing the music band inside airport area will disturb the security," said a source at the airport.
