Elaborate arrangements made for Tiruvannamalai Karthigai Deepam festival: Min Sekarbabu

CHENNAI: Stating that the Department of Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) expects around 35 lakh devotees to converge in Tiruvannamalai for the world-famous Karthigai Deepam festival, Minister PK Sekarbabu on Tuesday said the government has been making elaborate arrangements to facilitate the devotees' offering prayers without any difficulties.

“We anticipate that around 35 lakh devotees will throng the temple town for the Deepam festival. So, we held a review meeting with Deputy Chief Minister (Udhayanidhi Stalin) and PWD minister (R Velu) as per the instruction of the CM (M K Stalin) and taken up works to ensure all necessary facilities for the devotees,” said the HR&CE Minister

The 10-day annual festival will commence on December 4 with the hoisting of the temple flags and culminate on December 13.

Several thousands of devotees from across India and from several European countries would converge in the temple town to witness the Maha Deepam that would appear atop the Annamalai Hills, which is believed to be the physical form of Lord Siva in the form of a column of fire.

The Minister said that the department has made special arrangements to enable Ayyappa devotees to offer prayers, without standing in long queues, in 48 major temples in the State.

Meanwhile, Minister for HR & CE P K Sekarbabu on Tuesday handed over the travel kits to as many as 200 Murugan devotees and flagged off the Arupadai Veedu spiritual tour. The devotees would be taken to six abodes of Lord Murugan at free of cost under the spiritual tour programme.