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Time of India

Schools to close on Mondays during Shravan in Ujjain

Ujjain: Ujjain collector Roshan Kumar Singh on Monday declared holidays for all govt and private schools within Ujjain Municipal Corporation (UMC) limits on Mondays from July 14 to August 13 in view of Lord Mahakal procession taken out during Shravan, one of the holiest and most revered months of Hindu calendar. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now . So, the schools will be closed on July 14, 21, 28 and Aug 4 and 11. Sundays before them – July 13, 20, 27 and Aug 3 and 10, will be working days for the schools, the order stated. The decision was made to avoid hassles for school children during the grand processions taken out every Monday during the Shravan and Bhadrapad months of religious significance. District education officer Anand Sharma stated that the decision was made in the interest of children and parents to avoid traffic congestion caused by the procession on Mondays. Starting next Monday, a procession for Lord Mahakaleshwar will be organised as part of the Shravan-Bhadra month. This time, six processions will be taken out beginning July 14, and the final royal procession will be held on Aug 18. On the day of the royal procession, there is a local holiday in Ujjain. During the procession, traffic in the city increases, and for safety and crowd control, police set up barricades on the roads. This causes school vehicles to get caught in the crowd and stuck in traffic jams, the officials feel. To prevent this inconvenience for parents and children, the district education department proposed to the collector to hold school on Sundays instead of Mondays, DEO Sharma said, adding that students and their parents, who use other means to reach school also face difficulties. "This is not being done for the first time; it is being practised for the past two years," Sharma said. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now This arrangement has drawn flak from working couples. State Employees Union regional secretary Manohar Giri said, "Nowadays, both husband and wife need to work to manage family responsibilities. They have to work and typically get off on Sundays. Also, most employed individuals reside at the district headquarters and within the municipal limits, so operating schools on Sundays will create mental, physical, and financial pressure on working parents. "