TIRUVANNAMALAI: After two years, Tiruvannamalai district is set to witness 15-20 lakh devotees this week for the Chithirai Pournami on April 16 (Saturday). Owing to the lockdown, devotees had been banned from girivalam and darshan in the Sri Arunachaleswarar temple.
With the ban being lifted after a drop in cases, the temple town has been seeing a steady flow of devotees. Recently, the Pournami girivalam attracted more crowds.
Police surveillance will be ramped up and over 3,000 police personnel are set to be deployed for duty. As part of security measures, special crime teams, traffic, and medical respondents will be formed," Superintendent of Police A Pavan Kumar Reddy told TNIE.
Around 19 special crime teams will monitor suspicious activities. For traffic management, 30 riders will be deployed in and around the girivalam path and temple. Eight 'first respondents' will be deployed with medical kits to attend to emergencies.
The SP added, 20 'may I help you' booths will be set up in and around the girivalam path to help public and devotees address their grievances. Police personnel will be checking vehicles at 14 permanent district border check posts. Apart from this, 10 temporary bus stands and 35 car parking areas will be set up to handle traffic, Reddy said.
Girivalam on normal Pournami days is special, but when it falls in the Tamil month Chithirai, it is considered to be a major event for devotees.
Last week, Collector B Murugesh chaired a meeting to review preparatory steps. Drinking water facilities, special medical camps, toilets, mobile medical units have been arranged by the administration, involving various government departments. Meanwhile, devotees have urged the district administration to make basic amenities available at Parvathamalai, the second preferred destination in the district for devotees.