Thousands throng Shivajinagar church

Thousands of devotees converged on St Mary’s Basilica at Shivajinagar on Saturday to celebrate the annual feast of St Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ. The celebrations concluded with a spectacular car procession.

The decorated and illuminated car, carrying a six-foot statue of Mother Mary with Infant Jesus in her arms, passed through the Russell Market Square, Meenakshi Kovil Street, Shivaji Circle, Shivaji Road, Broadway Road and returned to the church through the Market Square.

Saffron-clad devotees gathered on both sides of the procession route holding candles and flowers and singing the praises of Mother Mary.

Elaborate arrangements had been made to ensure smooth flow of traffic in areas surrounding the church. This year, police had almost cordoned off the entire Shivajinagar area from Saturday afternoon.

Even BMTC buses were not allowed to enter the bus terminal. Traffic restrictions slowed down movement of vehicles on MG Road, St Mark’s Road, Brigade Road, Kasturba Road, Cubbon Road and Infantry Road in the evening. “We had deployed 454 traffic policemen in and around Shivajinagar on Saturday evening to co-ordinate smooth flow of traffic and the festival car procession,” said M A Sal­eem, Additional Commissioner (Traffic and Security), Bangalore City.