After the celestial wedding and the annual car festival, the focus now is on the arrival of Lord Kallazhagar from Alagarkoil to the city for the grand event of His entry into the Vaigai on May 4.
For the city police, who have chalked out an exhaustive security plan for the two mega events of the Chithirai festival, the real task will be handling the massive crowd at the Vaigai near the Albert Victor Bridge.
Though this has been a routine for the city police all these years, what will be new from this year onwards is that most part of Lord Kallazhagar’s procession will be handled by them. For, the city limits have been expanded from January 1, 2015.
As a result, out of 400-odd ‘mandagapadis,’ the places where Lord Kallazhagar will stop to give darshan to devotees on his way to Madurai and back to Alagarkoil, over 300 are in the city police limits. The city police will take over the security of the procession much earlier than in previous years. Instead of taking over the responsibility at Moondrumavadi, as in the past, the city police will do it at Kadachanendal, a few km ahead.
Similarly, the city police used to hand over the palanquin after following the deity for a few km after the Lord Kallazhagar gets out of the Vaigai on the way to Vandiyur.
However, this year, the responsibility for the entire procession from Kadachanendal and back will be with the city police.
However, the city police, led by the Commissioner of Police Shailesh Kumar Yadav, have made plans to take up the challenge. With over 3,000 city police and additional strength from other districts and Tamil Nadu Special Police and Armed Reserve, numbering around 2,000, it should be easier for the police to keep the entire route clear and provide security to the deity and devotees.
A mini control room has been set up exclusively for the Chithirai festival.
