Police step up vigil at temples for Mahasivaratri

Temple staff and volunteers being trained on security aspects

March 09, 2013 09:47 am | Updated November 16, 2021 12:15 pm IST - VIJAYAWADA:

City Police Commissioner N. Madhusudhan Reddy reviewing security with the temple authorities at Sri Parvathi Sametha Ramalingeswara Swamyvarla Devastanam, on Yanamalakuduru Hill, in Vijayawada.

City Police Commissioner N. Madhusudhan Reddy reviewing security with the temple authorities at Sri Parvathi Sametha Ramalingeswara Swamyvarla Devastanam, on Yanamalakuduru Hill, in Vijayawada.

Security has been beefed up at all shrines, particularly Shivalayams, in Krishna district in view of ‘Maha Sivaratri’ festival on March 10. The police officers are personally visiting the temples and taking precautionary measures. Police are providing training to Endowments Department officials, volunteers, and the private security guards on identifying unclaimed luggage, parcels and other objects at the temples.

Police personnel are asking the temple managements to arrange Closed Circuit Cameras (CC Cameras), if possible, at the entrance of the shrines, parking places and at queue lines. The Station House Officers (SHOs) were instructed to arrange necessary bandobust at all the temples for the festival.

Alert sounded

“With the State police sounding alert over possible terrorist attacks at holy places, additional police forces are being pressed into service to prevent any untoward incident,” said a police officer.

They asked the local police and the temple authorities to keep a watch at parking places, ticket and prasadam issuing counters, bathing ghats, queue lines and sanctum sanctorum. Instructions were issued to the Endowments staff and police not to allow covers and baggage inside the temple, said the police.

Speaking to The Hindu , City Police Commissioner N. Madhusudhan Reddy, who visited Sri Parvathi Sametha Ramalingeswara Swamy Devastanam at Yenamalakuduru on Thursday, said the police advised the temple staff to arrange security, apart from police bandobust, at all the shrines.

“Our intention is to provide security for all temples and pilgrims.

"Additional security will be arranged at bus and railway stations as thousands of devotees will throng the main temples including Sri Durga Malleswara Swamyvarla Devastanam during the festival”, said Mr. Reddy.

Meanwhile, the Endowments Department officials are making elaborate arrangements at Shivalayam, located at Challapalli Bungalow, Sri Bhramaramba Malleswaraswamy Varla Devastanam (Patha Shivalayam) in One Town, Shivarama Kshetram at Satyanarayanapuram and other temples.

The management of Sri Parvathi Sametha Ramalingeswara Swamy Devastanam will perform ‘Radhakrishna Kolatam’, ‘Bhajans and Koya Nrutyams’ and ‘Gramotsavams’ at the temple.

The kalyanotsavam (celestial wedding)would be performed at 1.35 a.m. on Yenamalakuduru Hill, according to temple Executive Officer N. Bhavani.

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