Arrangements are in place for the ‘bali’ rituals in connection with ‘Karkidaka Vavu’ on Tuesday in different spots across the district, primarily at the Parasurama temple at Thiruvallam and the Papanasham beach at Varkala.
Crowds are expected at other ‘bali’ offering spots in and around the city including Aruvikkara, Shangumugham, and Veli as well, to mention a few. Authorities including the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) and the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation are making the arrangements.
A communication issued by the TDB said, officials in the rank of Deputy Devaswom Commissioners had been deputed at main ‘bali’ offering spots to oversee the preparations and the rituals as well.
The ‘bali’ at the Parasurama temple will begin at 3 a.m. at nine mandapams there. About 3,000 people will be able to offer ‘bali’ at the ‘mandapams’ simultaneously, officials said. Sixty priests would be deployed.
Temporary barricades to avoid stampedes and ticket counters have been set up. Drinking water tanks have been installed on the temple premises. Services of the police, Health Department, the Kerala Water Authority, the Kerala State Electricity Board, and the Fire and Rescue Services have been enlisted.
The river was dredged at Thiruvallam. The TDB has set up bookstalls and information centres on the temple premises. At the Varkala Janardhana Swami Temple, temporary sheds have been put up. Priests to lead the rituals have been provided with TDB licence. TDB staff have been deputed to run the bookstall and the publicity counter here.
The Corporation has taken steps to ensure proper lighting arrangements with all streetlights under the electrical section offices at Pettah, Shanghumugham, Sreevaraham, Poonthura, Manacaud, and Thiruvallam being repaired.
At Shangumughom, five high-mast lights, defunct for several months, had been repaired, Health Minister V.S. Sivakumar said. Three of the lights were of the Corporation while the other two were of the District Tourism Promotion Council (DTPC). The DTPC undertook the repair on all five at a cost of Rs.3.5 lakh, the Minister said.
