Residents of Holiday Village Road pray for divine intervention to fix deteriorated road

In a symbolic protest against years of neglect, residents of Holiday Village Road in Mallasandra, off Kanakapura Road, gathered at a local temple on Sunday to perform a ‘pooja’, praying for divine intervention to fix the severely deteriorated road that has become a daily hazard.

Frustrated by crumbling infrastructure and repeated inaction by authorities, residents initially planned to perform a ‘homa’ (ritual with fire) as a form of protest. However, they were requested by the temple priest to postpone the ritual until after the road is repaired, as the ritual is believed to be more auspicious after positive developments. Instead, they performed a regular pooja as a mark of their protest, according to residents.

The situation, however, turned tense when residents alleged that police stopped them on their way to the temple to perform the ritual. “We were only trying to peacefully highlight our plight through a religious act. It was disappointing to face obstruction,” said one resident. Police reportedly told protesting residents that any form of protest outside Freedom Park was illegal.

Speaking to The Hindu, Guru Prasad, a resident of one of the eight apartment complexes in the area, said the road has been in a terrible state for the last two years. “Despite multiple assurances from the authorities and elected representatives, the contractor has failed to act. The condition has worsened with the rains. Two-wheeler riders often skid, and even school vans face trouble navigating the stretch.”

Another resident, who preferred not to be named, recalled how two school buses were stuck in slush last year and had to be lifted by cranes. “We met our MLA, S.T. Somashekar, and were promised that the issue would be addressed, but nothing has changed,” the resident said.

“The pooja protest was organised to draw the attention of civic authorities and elected representatives to the dire state of the road and the increasing risk to public safety. As the monsoon intensifies, we have no choice but to continue our demonstrations until our demands for basic infrastructure are met,” he added.