It was Raahgiri this week too on the central artery of the State Capital as denizens of Ranchi turned up in vast numbers to start their Sunday with fun and frolic.
People from all walks of life came to Mahatma Gandhi Marg (Main Road) for the second week to enjoy various healthful and recreational activities under the Raahgiri Day. Jointly conducted by Ranchi Municipal Corporation, Ranchi traffic police and Raahgiri Foundation, the second day of the Raahgiri attracted even more crowd that its inaugural day.
“The response towards Raahgiri has definitely grown and we expect it to grow even further. The important thing is that people are now coming out of their homes and interacting with others,” stated RMC Municipal Commissioner Prashant Kumar.
The event was started with the objective of giving the streets back to the people in lack of open public spaces for using to take up healthy habits of exercising and playing sports. The series of events for the day was kicked off with yoga sessions, followed by people engaging an assortment of dance and music activities and sports.
Cricket remained the most favoured sport of the day, with India taking on Australia today in a decisive match up for cementing its position in the semi-finals of ICC World Twenty20 2016. Cricket enthusiasts, young and old both, tried their hands on cricket bats and balls to show their support for the Indian cricket team led by Ranchi’s own Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
The route and timing for Raahgiri also underwent some changes following dissent from several church authorities. Instead of turning towards Mission Chowk from Sarjana Chowk, the stretch reserved for Raahgiri continued straight till Kali Mandir Chowk.
The timings were revised too, instead of going on for four hours (6:00 am to 10:00 am), the event was conducted for three hours (6:00 am to 9:00 am) only.
This, however, did not mar the spirit of the crowd of seven thousand Ranchiites that turned up at Main Road to enjoy Raahgiri. If anything, the event will be taken to other major stretches of the city too.
“Once it gains enough popularity in Mahatma Gandhi Marg, Raahgiri Day will be conducted along other major streets of the city as well,” Kumar said.
He further added, “Through Raahgiri, we will try to ensure more public participation in the ambitious projects of RMC. By the means of various activities, people of Ranchi will be educated about our initiatives and projects.”