Varanasi: The grand rehearsal for the proposed Indian Air Force (IAF) air show scheduled for Oct 22, 24 and 25 began offering a thrilling spectacle to residents of Kashi on Monday, as the thunderous roar of fighter jets repeatedly drew people’s attention skyward. For over four hours, residents across the city remained glued to the skies, eager to catch a glimpse of the aircraft showcasing their aerial prowess.Since Oct 16, residents living along the Ganga have been spotting Chinook helicopters flying over the river, while the Sarang helicopter team made its presence felt in Kashi’s skies on Sunday. Monday, however, brought an even more spectacular display, as the deafening roar of several IAF aircraft reverberated across the city. Aircraft expected to showcase their capabilities during the proposed air show include the Tejas, Light Combat Helicopter (LCH) Prachand, IL-76, IL-78, C-295 and AN-32, alongside frontline fighter jets such as the SU-30MKI and Rafale.As the aircraft manoeuvred across the skies during the rehearsal, people could be seen craning their necks to catch a glimpse of the aerial spectacle. The ghats along the Ganga and the sandy stretches on the opposite bank soon became vantage points for spectators. Rooftops across the city also began filling up with residents hoping to witness the action from above. The rehearsals, similar to Monday’s display, are expected to continue until Wednesday.With curiosity and excitement mounting, particularly among the youth, a massive turnout of spectators is being anticipated on all three days of the air show. Police commissioner Mohit Agrawal said the designated viewing areas could accommodate a substantial number of people across both banks of the Ganga.“In the cis-Ganga areas, around four lakh spectators can be accommodated at the ghats, while three lakh can gather along the downstream riverbanks up to Saramohana and Aadi Keshav Ghat. On the trans-Ganga side, which is shared by Varanasi and Chandauli districts, up to 15 lakh people can be accommodated,” he said.Namo Ghat will remain cordoned off for VIPs and security personnel, Agrawal said. He added that spectators arriving from the main city would be guided towards the ghats in the old city, where visibility up to Assi Ghat had been found satisfactory during the dry run.People arriving from the trans-Varuna areas and from the directions of Ghazipur, Jaunpur and Azamgarh have been advised to prefer the stretches around Saraimohana and Aadi Keshav Ghats for better visibility and easier access. Spectators travelling from Chandauli, Mirzapur, Prayagraj, Bhadohi and other districts have been advised to head towards the sandy stretches on the trans-Ganga side.“All traffic diversions and crowd management arrangements will come into effect from the morning of October 22 and remain in place until clearance is given after the event. The same arrangements will be implemented on October 24 and 25 as well,” Agrawal said, adding that VIP movement was expected on October 25.With spectators also expected to watch the air show from roadsides and rooftops, the police have issued guidelines to prevent people from gathering on unsafe or dilapidated buildings. The measures are aimed at ensuring that the much-anticipated aerial spectacle can be witnessed safely by residents and visitors across Kashi.
