Tight security arrangements have been made for the visit of President Ram Nath Kovind here on Thursday.
Mr. Kovind would arrive by helicopter at the Adiudupi helipad here at around 11.45 p.m. from the international airport in Mangaluru. He would reach the Pejawar Mutt at noon. He would then meet the 88-year-old Pejawar seer, Vishwesha Tirtha, and spend about 20 minutes at the Pejawar Mutt.
He will then visit the Sri Krishna Mutt/Temple and offer his prayers. He would leave Udupi at around 1.05 a.m. by helicopter to Mangaluru. Governor Vajubhai Vala, Governor of Nagaland P.B. Acharya, Union Minister for Drinking Water and Sanitation Uma Bharti and Udupi district in-charge Minister Jaimala would be accompanying Mr. Kovind during his visit.
As part of the security arrangements all shops and business establishments on Car Street, Sanskrit College-Car Street Road and Circuit House were closed at noon sharp on Wednesday. They will remain closed till 4 p.m. on Thursday. Traffic curbs would be in place on several roads here from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Thursday. The public will not be allowed into the Sri Krishna Mutt/Temple from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Thursday.
As part of the security measures, 25 CCTV cameras have been installed on Car Street. This is in addition to the existing CCTV cameras there. Besides this, CCTV cameras have also been installed inside the Pejawar Mutt on Car Street. Nearly 800 police personnel have been pressed into service as part of security here.
A fresh coat of paint has been given to the Pejawar Mutt in the light of the President’s visit. Dewan of Pejawar Mutt Raghuram Acharya told The Hindu that there was no scheduled Guruvandana programme at the Pejawar Mutt on Thursday. Mr. Kovind will visit the mutt and hold talks with the seer, he said.
A trail run of how the Presidential cavalcade would travel was held from Adiudupi helipad to Car Street here on Wednesday. There were about 25 vehicles, including cars and ambulances, in the trail run. Potholes on the road on which the cavalcade will travel have been asphalted. Since it is a personal visit by Mr. Kovind, media would be kept away from Car Street (where both the Pejawar Mutt and Sri Krishna Mutt/Temple are located) during the President’s visit. A few select press photographers and media cameramen have been allowed to take pictures from a distance on Car Street.
