RAMANATHAPURAM
Ramanathapuram Samasthanam has made elaborate arrangements and the district police have put in place tight security for the two-day Arudra Darshan scheduled for December 22 and 23 (Saturday and Sunday) at Sri Mangalanatha Swamy Temple at Thiru Uthirakosamangai near here.
The annual festival would commence on Saturday morning when the temple authorities would open the sannathi and unveil the emerald Nataraja idol that remained indoors, anointed with sandal paste, for the past one year, for public darshan.
The sannathi would remain open for the whole day on Saturday, V.K. Palanivel Pandian, diwan of the Samasthanam which administered the temple, told reporters here on Thursday. The sannathi would be closed for the day at 11 p.m. after Arudra maha abishekam , he said.
The sannathi would be opened in the early hours of Sunday. After different abishekams , the 1.8-metre- tall idol, believed to have been carved out of a single deep green emerald stone, would be kept for public darshan, he said. The sandal paste removed from the idol would be given as prasadam to those who bought ticket for ₹100 for the darshan, he said.
The Samasthanam expected around 40,000 devotees this time. “We expect people from neighbouring districts and other parts of the Sate for the event,” he said.
Arrangements were made for the devotees to witness the two-hour long abishekams , he said.
About 550 police personnel would be deployed for security, Superintendent of Police Omprakash Meena said. Two Additional SPs, six DSPs and 15 Inspectors would monitor the security under his supervision. The deployment would begin on Friday evening, he added.
Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation would operate special buses to Thiru Uthirakosamangai for the convenience of devotees.
