VIJAYAWADA: With more than 100 CCTV cameras, the Vijayawada city police are monitoring the movements of devotees and ensuring that no untoward incidents take place during the 10-day Dasara festivities in Sri Durga Malleswara Swamy Varla Devasthanam (SDMSD) atop Indrakeeladri.
Stationed at the Model Guest House downhill, the operation command and control room has been delivering the services to devotees visiting the temple from various places in the state and other States.
The entire temple premises including ghats are divided into four zones and police are monitoring the minute-to-minute proceedings from Canal road to Sanctum of Sanctorum of the temple and alerting the officials in real-time.
“All the cameras work round-the-clock and an ACP rank officer heads the command control room. He alerts officials on the ground during any emergency ensuring no inconvenience arises during the festivities,” the deputy commissioner of police (DCP) Vishal Gunni told TNIE.
He said the command control room is nothing but an integrated wing where officials from various departments are monitoring the activities and clearing issues on the ground. “Recordings of the proceedings can be stored for three years . We have used advanced CCTV and another 150 cameras are being monitored by the temple staff,” he added.
In addition, the Vijayawada city police placed 72 teams to check offences such as chain-snatching, pick-pocketing, house-breakings (HBs) and other crimes in the localities near the temple.Additional deputy commissioner of police (ADCP- task force) Kolli Srinivas Rao said a large number of people, especially women throng Durga temple and there is high possibility of chain-snatching and other offences.
“As many as 72 teams from 12 districts were roped in to spot notorious offenders, pick-pocketers and criminals. They were attached to Vijayawada CCS,” he explained, adding that no such case was reported so far in the four days of festivities. More than 50,000 devotees visited the temple on Thursday.
AVATAR FOR FIFTH DAY: SRI LALITHA TRIPURA SUNDARI DEVI
On the fifth day, Goddess Kanaka Durga will be adorned as Sri Lalitha Tripura Sundari Devi. She will be seated on Lord Siva, while goddess Sri Lakshmi Devi and Sarswati Devi will be on Her right and left sides holding ‘vinjamarams’ in their hands to serve Her, as described in Lalita Sahasranama Stotram. The goddess is golden hued, and has lotus in Her hand.