THOOTHUKUDI: Even as the Dasara festival is at its peak, the district police have urged devotees, who don various disguises and seek alms from the public, to not disguise themselves as police personnel.
Police strength has been increased to ensure peaceful darshan at the Kulasekarapattinam Mutharamman temple, Thoothukudi Superintendent of Police Albert John said.
The Dasara festivities flagged off with a flag-hoisting ceremony on October 3. A spectacular part of the festival is when devotees don various disguises and seek alms to fulfil their vows.
The 10-day festival will culminate with the Soorasamharam event on October 12 and may see the participation of over 10 lakh devotees from across the state.
Addressing media persons, SP Albert John said that over 4,000 police personnel have been deployed for the Mutharaman festival, and measures have been taken to regulate traffic congestion.
He added that the police had installed 250 CCTV cameras to monitor the crowd, and set up over 10 "May I Help You" counters to serve the people in case of emergency.
He also appealed to the devotees not to wear police dress, as it may lead to confusion, adding that some wrongdoings have been committed by people wearing the khaki uniform, in the past.
The health department, in the backdrop of the Chennai air show mishap, had issued dos and don'ts for the devotees gathering at the Kulasekarapattinam Mutharamman temple.
Health officials have urged people to stay hydrated, avoid tea, coffee and soft drinks and wear full clothes to avoid exposure to the sun.
Meanwhile, Collector K Elambahavath inspected the facilities in the presence of RDO Sugumaran, DSP Sathyaraj, HR&CE Joint Director Anbumani and others.