THIRUVANANTHAPURAM:Devaswom Minister Kadakampally Surendran on Friday asked officers concerned to set up safety facilities at beach destinations where devotees flock in to perform the Karkidaka vavu bali ritual on August 11. The minister’s directive came in the backdrop of the rough seas and MET Department’s warnings. The service of the police and lifeguard and medical facilities should be available at the destinations.
The minister was addressing a meeting of officers of the Devaswom, TDB and different government departments to review the arrangements for the vavu bali ritual. Bathing ghat and pond of the Thiruvallam Sree Parasurama Swami Temple will be cleaned up. More showers will be set up near the bathing ghat for the devotees to refresh after the ritual.
The minister asked the officers of the Thiruvallam temple to ensure that polluted water of Parvathy Puthanar is blocked from entering the bath ghat. The garbage at the ghat be removed at the earliest. PWD and local self-government institutions were asked to repair the roads leading to the temple. Elaborate arrangements will be made at all temples under the TDB where devotees arrive to perform the ritual to appease the departed souls.
Thousands of devotees are expected to arrive at the famed spots like the Thiruvallam temple and Shanghumugham beach in Thiruvananthapuram, Papanasam beach at Varkala, Thirumullavaram temple in Kollam and the Lord Siva temple at Aluva.
TDB member K P Sankaradas said the temples have been asked to convene meetings of local residents and devotees to participate in the arrangements. The minister asked the Thiruvananthapuram city corporation, district administration, police, Health Department and the Kerala Water Authority to set up their facilities at the earliest. The Devaswom Minister asked the collectors of Thiruvananthapuram and Ernakulam districts to convene meetings of the officials concerned to review the arrangements in important destinations in their regions.
The TDB has been asked to provide identity cards to priests who would lead the rituals in the destinations. The KSRTC should arrange special services to the locations. MLAs V S Sivakumar, V Joy, O Rajagopal, Mayor V K Prasanth and Rural SP Ashok Kumar attended the meeting.