Now Reading: Bengaluru Freedom Habba: 18,000 registered for Vidhana Soudha open day
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Bengaluru Freedom Habba: 18,000 registered for Vidhana Soudha open day
More than 18,000 people have registered for the Freedom Habba in Bengaluru on August 15, the first time the Vidhana Soudha premises will open to the public for a large-scale Independence Day…
The Story in Brief
More than 18,000 people have registered for the Freedom Habba in Bengaluru on August 15, the first time the Vidhana Soudha premises will open to the public for a large-scale Independence Day celebration. Only pre-registered visitors with QR codes can enter; no on-spot registrations are allowed. The 12-hour event, from noon to 10pm, features a cultural parade, children's mela, over 120 stalls, and evening concerts by artists including Raghu Dixit and Sanjith Hegde. Dr BR Ambedkar Metro Station will be closed from 10am to 9.30pm, and Ambedkar Veedhi will be shut to traffic from 11am. Around 80 bio-toilets and 3,000-plus police personnel have been deployed.
The 220th Lalbagh Flower Show, themed 'The Glory of the Ganga Empire', also opened this weekend, with a floral recreation of the 1,200-year-old Panchalingeshwara Temple Complex using about six lakh flowers. Both events are expected to draw large crowds, with extra Metro and bus services arranged after the programme.
The Indian Opinion
The strict QR-code-only entry and Metro closure are being criticised as inconveniences, but given Vidhana Soudha's first-ever public access, these measures are prudent. What will test the organisers is crowd management during the parade segment (3pm-5pm), when all registered participants might converge. The promise of a 'people's Independence Day' hinges on whether the 18,000 registrants can actually move, eat and use toilets without chaos. The real verdict will come from those stuck in traffic trying to leave.
Sources (4): timesofindia.indiatimes.com, timesofindia.indiatimes.com (2), timesofindia.indiatimes.com (3), livemint.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the 4 sources linked above.
Updated: this story now draws on 4 sources.
