Safety audit begins on Badarpur-Faridabad metro stretch

Four months after trial runs began of the Badarpur-Faridabad stretch of the Delhi metro, the Commissioner of Metro Railway Safety (CMRS) have started the mandatory inspection from Monday.

A team led by Safety Commissioner R K Kardam began the three-day inspection of the Metro track between Badarpur and Escorts Ajronda in Faridabad.

The inspection team also comprised Deputy Commissioners, Safety, Sulabh Tyagi and Rajbal Khoiwal, Chief Project Engineer R P Parashar, Chief Engineer I P Singh, DMRC Directors H S Anand, A K Gupta, Sharad Sharma and Jitender Tyagi.

The CMRS would carry out the inspection till August 12. This would take the opening of the line to the next step. While partial energy requirements of the corridor would be met by solar power, different teams of the DMRC are working in full swing on areas like electric wires, communication system, and track safety. 

The 14-km section is an extension of the ITO- Badarpur line (Purple Line) of the network with which the Delhi metro will make its first entry into Faridabad. Once fully operational, it will span from Kashmere Gate to Escorts Mujesar having a length of 43.4 km.

It will have a total of 32 stations, including five inter-change stations — Kashmere Gate, Mandi House, Central Secretariat, Lajpat Nagar and Kalkaji Mandir. The depot for the section, Arjonda Depot, has been constructed near Sector 20 A.

Since the Metro line is parallel to the busy National Highway 2 connecting south Delhi with Faridabad, the DMRC has constructed nine new pedestrian over bridges (FOBs).

All Metro stations have been designed in such a way that there are FOBs that will facilitate the movement of pedestrians not intending to travel by the Metro.

DMRC has installed 37 lifts and 45 escalators at the nine stations. The lifts will be operated by the environment friendly regenerative braking technology.

Apart from the Mujesar terminal station, the upcoming stations are Sarai, NHPC Chowk, Mewla Maharajpur, Sector 28, Badkhal Mor, Old Faridabad, Neelam Chowk Ajronda, and Bata Chowk.

Surajkund Crafts Mela 2014

Event Name : Surajkund Crafts Mela

Start Date : Saturday, 1 February 2014

End Date : Saturday, 15 February 2014

Venue : Faridabad, Haryana

Surajkund Crafts Mela is an annual fair celebrated in Faridabad District, Haryana. The festival showcases the art, craft and cuisines of India. The crafts persons from SAARC nations also participate in this Fair. The Mela is located at a distance of 8 km from south Delhi in the historic site of Surajkund.

Surajkund International Crafts Mela celebrates the unique diversity of Indian traditions and culture in an ambience created to represent the ethos of rural India. Surajkund International Crafts Mela showcases some of the most exquisite handlooms and handicrafts of India. Handmade fabrics soaked in ethnic colours make an eye catching display for the visitors. 

Major highlights of the 28th Surajkund International Crafts Mela-2014 are as under:-

Sri Lanka has been chosen as the PARTNER NATION. A contingent of craftspersons from Sri Lanka will showcase best of handlooms and handicrafts of their country in a unique ambience that would transfer you to the tropical island nation. Watch out for the enthralling performances of Sri Lankan cultural troupes at Chaupal and Natyashala. The master chefs of Sri Lanka will rustle an array of authentic and mouth-watering delicacies in the Food Court. 

Goa is the THEME STATE this year.

An Apna Ghar of Haryana has also been created for the stay of a Haryanvi family to highlight the Haryanvi culture with Haryanvi motifs and ambience.

This year the Mela entry tickets have been priced at Rs 70 each.

This year the Mela tickets are available through online & Offline E-ticketing.

A rebate of 50% on Mela entry tickets is being extended to senior citizens, differently-abled and serving defence personnel. The college students will also be given 50% discount on Mela entry ticket during weekdays only on producing their photo identity cards.

Avail 10% discount on online booking of Mela entry tickets. 

How to Reach Surajkund Crafts Mela : 

By Metro: Board a Metro from Central Secretariat till Badarpur via Sarita Vihar and Mohan Estate. Plus, Badarpur lies close to the interstate border amid Delhi & Faridabad.

By Road: Surajkund is well-connected to Delhi, Gurgaon and Faridabad by your own conveyance, taxis & private coaches.

By Air: The location is a about 25 km from Palam Airport & 35-minute drive from the Indira Gandhi International Airport.

Syro-Malabar Christians get own Diocese, Bishop at Faridabad

The Syro-Malabar Catholics of North India got their own diocese on Saturday, May 26th 2012. The diocese of Faridabad, or administrative unit of the church, was inaugurated in a grand ceremony at Thyagaraj Stadium in the capital was witnessed by thousands of faithful. Monsignor Kuriakose Bharanikulangara was appointed its first bishop. The new Diocese of Faridabad comprises the states of Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu-Kashmir and the districts of Gautam Buddh Nagar and Ghaziabad, UP. Dignitaries included Cardinal George Alencherry, the head of Syro Malabar Church; Archbishop Vincent Concessao of Delhi; Cardinal Oswald Gracias, CBCI President; and Archbishop Salvatore Pennacchio, Apostolic Nuncio, among others. The Faridabad diocese will serve some 1.5 lakh Syro-Malabar Catholics. A total of 88 priests and 855 religious women work at the convents, religious homes, schools and hospitals in the area.

White and yellow paper-flags were waved amid prayers by thousands who turned up for the ceremony. A message from Pope Benedict XVI sanctioning the new diocese and appointment of the new bishop was read out. The ceremony included a dance performance by a group of children dressed in the colours of the national flag. It was followed by a holy mass where the newly appointed Bishop greeted the people. Dressed in red and golden robes, archbishops, bishops, and heads of other Christian denominations attended the ceremony. The new diocese is the 165th Diocese of Catholic Church in India and the 31st Diocese of Syro-Malabar Church. The ordination ceremony of the new bishop was followed by a public meeting which was inaugurated by Sheila Dikshit, the Chief Minister of Delhi. Bharanikulangara belongs to the Parish of Karippassery under the Archdiocese of Ernakulam-Angamaly. The Syro Malabar Church is the second largest among the Eastern Catcholic Churches. The Church serves over 4.6 million believers spread out in India and different parts of the world.