THOOTHUKUDI: With the Dussehra festival fast approaching, devotees and authorities of Mutharamman temple in Kulasekarapattinam, where the festival is celebrated in a grand manner, have urged the state government and the district administration to upgrade the basic amenities on the temple premises and the adjoining beach area for catering to the needs of the lakhs of devotees expected to visit this year. Recently, the Dussehra festival organisers held a meeting, in which representatives from the public put forth their demands.
The 10-day festival commences on September 23 and concludes on October 2. The festival at Kulasekarapattinam draws nearly 15 lakh people yearly, and is considered second only to the famous Mysuru Dussehra festival.
During the meeting, representatives from the public asked the HR&CE Department to prepone the flag-hoisting ceremony from the usual 9 am to 6 am. They demanded that the traffic regulations, which are typically in place on the last three days of the festival, be enforced on the first day as well, citing the huge inflow expected for the flag-hoisting ceremony.
Not enforcing the regulations on the first day had resulted in congestion and mishaps in previous years, said a devotee. The public also urged the authorities concerned to prevent entry to individuals bearing caste flags in order to avert any untoward incidents.
Further, the devotees complained that the drinking water and sanitary facilities established last year were inadequate; the mobile toilets were not provided with water supply, allegedly resulting in open defecation near the beach area.
Murugaraj, a devotee from Kulasekarapattinam, demanded the establishment of permanent infrastructural facilities, rather than making temporary arrangements every year. The devotees also wanted the authorities to ensure all the buses reach the temporary bus stands set up at different locations.
Besides installing lights along the roads leading to Kulasekarapattinam, the devotees also urged the district administration to clear thornbushes grown along Kulasekarapattinam-Kottangadu Road, Tiruchendur-Kulasekarapattinam Road, and Kulasekarapattinam-Vadakkur Road, among other stretches.
A temple official told TNIE that the demands raised and the issues flagged would be taken to the notice of higher officials.