The Indian cricket team and New Zealand team reached Kanpur for the series decider on Thursday, and they were presented with a new tradition of presenting a ‘saffron’ scarf in the Hotel.

The cricketers of Team India and New Zealand team were welcomed at the hotel with a traditional ‘aarti’ and a ‘tilak’ by the hotel staff and were also given a saffron scarf instead of flowers.

Vikas Mehrotra, managing director of the hotel said, “The plan to welcome the cricketers was inspired by chief minister Yogi Adityanath’s grand Diwali celebrations at Ayodhya. The teams are coming here in the backdrop of Diwali celebrations. The management wants to give the players a feel of real Indian tradition.”

Apart from this, to give the feel of festivity, the entire hotel was lighted with more than 10,000 diyas spread all over the porch and every corner of the hotel. Earlier, before the match, the skipper of the team used to cut a cake in the presence of team members as a sign of good luck.

As per the sources, around 11 to 12 school children will be staging Ramleela before the players. But it is yet to be decided that it will be staged before or after the match is yet to be decided by the hotel authorities.