Virudhunagar
Thousands of devotees from southern districts climbed the Sathuragiri hills on the occasion of Aadi Amavasai on Saturday.
Special pujas and decorations were done for the presiding deity Sri Sundara Mahalingam and Sri Santha Mahalingam. Besides, various abhishekams and deeparathana were done throughout the day. Various organisations organised annadanam for the lakhs of devotees who gathered on the Thaniparai foothills.
Devotees had climbed up the hill from Thaniparai foothills in Virudhunagar district and Vazhaithoppu near Saptur in Madurai district and from Theni district, they trekked the difficult hilly terrain for the past three days.
Forest department officials frisked devotees for inflammable objects, beedi, cigarettes and liquor bottles. They also did not allow them to carry plastic bags on the Thaniparai foothills.
“Drinking water facilities and dustbins were provided at additional locations along the route,” said P. Muhammed Shabab, Wildlife Warden of Giant Squirrel Sanctuary, Srivilliputtur.
Presence of police and forest personnel in large numbers along the forest route helped regulating the crowd, especially at difficult terrains and narrow pathway. Over 2,300 police personnel, home from Madurai and Virudhunagar districts were deployed.
“Besides police personnel from both districts, we had engaged Special Task Force team for bandobust. Similarly, a team from National Disaster Response Force was also posted as a precautionary measure,” Madurai District Superintendent of Police, N. Manivannan, said.
“With no rain and a cool climate, it was easier for the devotees to trek on the hilly terrain,” he added.
Virudhunagar police had arranged cultural programmes and devotional talks on the foothills to keep the devotees engaged during the night till they were allowed to climb up the hill at 4 a.m.
“We also had arranged a few marriage and community halls for the devotees to spend their nights. These measures helped us in keeping the devotees calm till the morning,” the Virudhunagar District Superintendent of Police, M. Rajarajan, said.
A 25-year-old youth, S. Anbarasan of Kalavasal, who climbed up the hill from Vazhaithoppu, died after he collapsed near Kathai Medu. The body was kept at the Usilampatti Government Hospital. This was the second death reported in the last three days.
Ramanathapuram
Hundreds from various parts of the country thronged the ‘Agni Theertham’, Sethukarai and Devipattinam seashores in the district and paid their obeisance to their ancestors.
As the day coincided with the annual ‘Aadi Thirukalyanam’, the celestial wedding of Lord Ramanathaswamy with His consort Parvathavardhini Ambal at Sri Ramanathaswamy temple, hundreds of people thronged the island to perform ‘tharpanam’ for their forefathers and offer worship at the temple.
The district police made elaborate security arrangements.
