Delhi Police announces traffic restriction ahead of Chehlum procession on Thursday

New Delhi: The Delhi Police on Wednesday issued a traffic advisory ahead of Chehlum procession, asking people to take the metro in view of the religious event, officials said.

The Shia Muslim community will observe Chehlum in Delhi on Thursday.

Chehlum is observed on the 40th day after Muharram which commemorates the martyrdom of Imam Hussain, the grandson of Prophet Hazrat Mohammad.

The main Chehlum procession including Tazia, Alam etc, started from Pahari Bhojla on Wednesday at 8.30 am because of the G20 Summit.

It will proceed to Dargah Shah-e-Mardan and later to Karbala via Chitli Qabar, Matia Mahal, Jama Masjid, Hauz Qazi, Ajmeri Gate, Paharganj Bridge, Chelmsford Road, and New Delhi Railway Station in north Delhi.

It will then proceed to Outer Circle Connaught Place (wrong carriageway), Sansad Marg, Patel Chowk, Sansad Marg, Rafi Marg, Rail Bhawan, Kartvya Path/Rafi Marg crossing, Sunehri Bagh Road, Krishna Menon Marg, Gol Methi roundabout, Tughlak Road, Aurobindo Marg, Jor Bagh Road, to reach Karbala in Lodhi Colony for burial, according to the advisory.

The gathering at Karbala is expected to have around 20,000 to 25,000 people in it.

Some VIPs including diplomats, and ambassadors of Gulf countries are also likely to attend the Majlis/religious meeting, it said.

Before the burial, the 'Anjuman-e-Haideri' will organise a Majlis of local Shia Muslims on Thursday around 4 pm at Dargah Shah-e-Mardan, Jor Bagh, it said.

Around 7 pm, a public meeting would be organised to observe Chehlum as an 'anti-terrorism day' at Dargah Shah-e-Mardan.

After this meeting, a Majlis would be held and Shia cleric Maulana Kalbe Jawad would deliver a religious discourse, the advisory said.

In order to ensure smooth traffic management, movement of traffic will be regulated on Jama Masjid road, Lal Kuan Bazar road, Ajmeri Gate road, Asaf Ali road, Shradhanand Marg, Basant road, Main Bazar road, Panchkuian road, DGB Road, Rafi Marg, Outer Circle of Connaught Place, Sansad Marg, Krishna Menon Marg, Tughlak Road, Ashoka Road, and Janpath on Wednesday from 8.30 am, the advisory stated.

Traffic would be diverted from Brij Mohan Chowk, Hauz Qazi Chowk, Ajmeri Gate Chowk, Mandi House roundabout, AIIMS Loop, Dayal Singh Chowk, and C-Hexagon etc, it said.

The vehicular traffic will be affected at the time of the procession and some bus services may be terminated ahead of destination depending on the movement of the procession.

Passengers travelling to New Delhi Railway Station on Wednesday in the afternoon should leave ahead of time, police advised.

Police advised people going to the New Delhi Railway Station, police to avoid Connaught Place and approach it via Ajmeri Gate side through Tilak Marg, Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Marg or through Rajghat and Jawaharlal Nehru Marg.

Police advised commuters to use Metro services, especially on affected routes, the advisory added.

On July 29, a section of people taking out Muharram processions clashed with police and pelted stones at them, injuring 12, including six policemen, and damaging several vehicles after they were stopped from changing the designated route in west Delhi's Nangloi.

The police resorted to caning to disperse the "unruly crowd." Three cases were registered in connection with the incident.