THOOTHUKUDI: The Kulasekarapattinam village is all geared up for the soorasamharam on October 20, when the famed Dussehra festival here climaxes, drawing devotees from across southern India and tourists from various countries.
The Dussehra festival committee has been attempting to gain Unesco’s Intangible Cultural Heritage recognition for the colourful festival, like the spectacular Mysore Dasara, considering its traditional significance and appeal to tourists.
Soorasamharam, conducted at the Kulasekarapattinam beach, is often attended by eight lakh devotees, while more than 12 lakh visit the Mutharamman temple during the 11 days of the festival.
Even though the festival is a major source of income for the Kulasekarapattinam village panchayat, the local infrastructure needs to be improved with necessary roads and shelters for the large influx of devotees.
In 2018, eight lakh devotees were present at the soorasamharam venue, say official sources citing the Asia Book of Records and the India Book of Records.
A few officials told TNIE the roads in the Kulasekarapattinam panchayat are narrow and inadequate for lakhs of devotees. Two road stretches are being constructed to provide public access to the temple and beach and also for exit.
Despite the bottlenecks, every year the authorities manage to ensure basic amenities for devotees. Three joint commissioners oversee the management of devotees on the temple premises, beach and at parking lots.
This year, the festival began on October 11, with the soorasamharam scheduled on October 20. To control and regulate the crowd, traffic, and transportation, the police have deployed over 4,000 personnel, installed 90 permanent CCTV cameras, and set up 175 CCTVs as a temporary measure.
Regarding basic amenities, the civic body and the temple authorities are supplying sufficient quantities of water. Also, 175 permanent toilets and 180 temporary ones have been put up. In addition to the sanitation workers of the panchayat, the civic body has contracted 200 additional staff for cleaning the village during the days of the festival.
The provision of basic amenities such as water, toilets, lavatories, medical care for the mammoth crowds and their evacuation is a challenging process, officials say.
District Collector Vishu Mahajan stated that all necessary basic amenities are being ensured under his direct supervision and necessary infrastructure upgradation is being carried out.
Unesco recognition will be an added value for the Kulasai Dussehra festival, given its significance in terms of art and traditions. Options will be explored to obtain Unesco recognition, he said.
Revenue officials said the festival must be notified by the state government and the celebrations should be conducted under the supervision of the district collector, as is done for the festivals at the Murugan temple in Tiruchendur.
The Dussehra festival committee members want the state to allocate additional funds, recognising the event’s unique art and traditional practices. “The district administration must provide a local holiday after soorasamharam as the devotees untie their sacred threads only after its (soorasamharam) conclusion,” they said.
A key element of the traditional practices associated with the festival is the appearance of devotees in the guise (vesham) of various gods and goddesses to seek the blessings of Goddess Mutharamman. Devotees in the costumes of Kali, Hanuman, Murugan, woman, demon, beggar or police constable get offerings from the public during the 10 days of the festival, and invoke them on soorasamharam.
The festival, according to officials, has been celebrated since 1885. The HR&CE department took over the Mutharamman temple in 1964. Annually, the festival commences with a flag hoisting. On Day 1, devotees wear a holy thread given by the Mutharamman temple authority. The ritual for untying it is conducted a day after the soorasamharam.
