The temple town of Srirangam will be brought under a thick security blanket on ‘Vaikunta Ekadasi’ on December 29 when the ‘Paramapadavaasal’ will be opened inside the temple premises.
The opening of the ‘Paramapadavaasal’ is the highlight of the 21-day festival that concludes on January 8.
The City Police and the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department have braced up for the celebrations, when devotees throng the shrine in large numbers.
Anticipating a heavy turnout this year too, the law enforcers have prepared a detailed security scheme. In addition to mobilising the total strength of the city police, manpower has been augmented by drawing police personnel from various districts in the State.
Besides the Central Zone, additional police personnel from Coimbatore, Vellore, Tiruvannamalai, Sivaganga and Ramanathapuram districts have been drawn for security duty within the temple, its vicinity and in different places in Srirangam to maintain order, prevent crimes and regulate vehicular movement.
Police sources said the sprawling temple premises and its vicinity had been divided into seven sectors and each one of them would be headed by a senior police officer in the rank of a Superintendent of Police.
The overall security arrangements would be monitored by the Commissioner of Police, A. Amalraj, with four SPs drawn from other units and districts.
The sources said over 10 anti-sabotage teams would be deployed at vantage points within the shrine where LED and LCDs would be installed at key spots to enable devotees watch the celebrations.
Separate teams of policemen would be deployed to keep a tab on offenders and prevent crimes. Traffic police teams would be deployed to regulate movements of vehicles entering and leaving the temple town.
A chain of surveillance cameras had been installed at strategic points inside and outside the temple with the entire movements being monitored from a temporary outpost set up inside the temple.
Mr. Amalraj said around 3,500 police personnel would be deployed on Vaikunta Ekadasi.
A meeting of senior police officers, presided over by the Commissioner of Police, was convened here on Wednesday. The sources said the police personnel would be deployed on Thursday.
Temple authorities said seating arrangements had been made in the 100-pillar mandapam for devotees. Water bottles had been arranged for them.
