VIJAYAWADA: Officials of the Sri Durga Malleswara Swamy Varla Devasthanam have enhanced security in the vicinity of Indrakeeladri by placing multi-zone door frame metal detectors (DFMDs) near Mallikharjuna Maha Mandapam, Lord Mallikharjuna Swamy temple and Mukha Mandapam on the hill-shrine as part of improving the vigil at the State’s second largest temple after Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam.
On Sunday, the devotees’ turnout to the shrine was high and the temple security personnel positioned near the entrance of Mallikharjuna Mandapam were seen frisking the visitors with advanced hand-held metal detectors.
Visitors were allowed to enter the queue through DFMDs, only after they had stored their luggage and mobile phones at the special counters on the Arjuna Street, maintained free of cost by the devasthanam. A senior temple official, on condition of anonymity, said that in the first week of May, the devasthanam had invited tenders for procuring 10 multi-zone DFMDs and 10 advanced hand-held metal detectors at a total cost of Rs 5 lakh.
Even though the temple already had DFMDs, they were in need of repairs and the new devices are beneficial as they are also capable of detecting explosive materials.
These measures followed after the sleuths of Intelligence Security Wing (ISW) assessed the security of the temple in May and made some recommendations, in view of the increasing threat-perception to the temple, he added.