BHUBANESWAR: With Maha Shivaratri set to draw massive crowd of devotees to the Lingaraj temple here on Sunday, police have cautioned people against falling prey to fake passes offered online by scamsters.
The warning came after the temple’s sevayats informed police that some unscrupulous persons were selling passes online on the promise of providing the citizens hassle-free darshan. They informed that a private travel agency was offering fake passes for Rs 1,799 each on the promise of pick and drop services to the temple, with no waiting in queues and smooth entry into the shrine. They said the fake online advertisement read ‘come with empty hands and leave with blessings’.
“Stringent action will be initiated against the persons found to be offering/selling fake VIP passes to Lingaraj temple on the occasion of Maha Shivaratri. Passes are only being provided to those engaged in carrying puja materials and on-duty personnel,” said Bhubaneswar-Cuttack police commissioner S Dev Datta Singh.
Singh reviewed the temple’s preparedness and security measures as lakhs are expected to converge for offering prayers on Sunday. A total of 41 platoons of police force will be deployed to maintain law and order around the 11th century shrine. Police have set up 12 dedicated parking places for sevayats, devotees, government officials and mediapersons, he said.
The temple authorities have also assured timely observance of rituals and orderly darshan for the devotees from the commencement of the festival to the lighting of the Mahadeepa atop the shrine, the most significant ritual marking the culmination of Shivaratri.
Police have also issued an advisory against flying of drones near Lingaraj temple on the occasion of Maha Shivaratri. The shrine has been declared as a red zone by Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS). Any violation of the ban will invite appropriate legal action, police said.