Measures in place for T’malai car fest today
In view of one of the highlights of the ongoing Karthigai Deepam festival of the Arunachaleswarar temple here-the car procession-taking place on Saturday, elaborate arrangements were set in place and various checks were undertaken by officials of the district administration on Friday.
By : migrator
Update: 2019-12-06 20:49 GMT
Tiruvannamalai
In view of one of the highlights of the ongoing Karthigai Deepam festival of the Arunachaleswarar temple here-the car procession-taking place on Saturday, elaborate arrangements were set in place and various checks were undertaken by officials of the district administration on Friday.
With the procession of the five massive temple cars expected to start around7 am, the procession route was inspected by officials to ensure there were no obstructions. Encroachments were removed and heavy police bandobust has been arranged to ensure that devotees do not come within 20 metres of the temple car wheels, officials said. Besides, an ambulance and fire service vehicles to follow the temple cars for emergencies have been arranged.
While the Vinayagar and Subramaniar’s temple cars will lead the procession around the main Mada streets in the morning, the main temple chariot with idols of Unnamalai Amman will traverse the route in the afternoon. It will then be followed by the car with Paraskathi Amman which traditionally is pulled by women alone. The last car to be taken around is that of Chandikeswarar.
As around 35 lakh devotees are expected to congregate for the Maha and Bharani deepams and the pournami girivalam, a total of 275 CCTV cameras have been fixed at vantage locations for 24-hour surveillance. Around 3500 women self-help group members will work in three shifts round the clock to ensure cleanliness of the 14-kilometre-long girivalam path.
A patrol vehicle for use on the girivalam path was flagged off by District Collector KS Kandasamy who along with Superintendent of Police MR Sibi Chakravarthi went around the girivalam path in a battery operated vehicle to ensure that work to clear the path was apace.
Gold, silver coins await ‘green’ devotees
In a bid to encourage people from avoiding plastics, the State government on Friday announced an opportunity for devotees visiting the Arunachaleswarar temple in Tiruvannamalai on the occasion of Karthigai Deepam to win gold and silver coins. “Devotees bringing eco-friendly bags for Karthigai Deepam function to be held in Tiruvannamalai on December 10 will be selected based on a computer-generated lot system and the winners will be given gold and silver coins,” the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) said in a statement. Twelve persons will then be selected and awarded gold coins weighing 2 grams each and 72 others will be given silver coins weighing 10 grams each, it added.
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