TIRUCHI
The Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) issued by the government in the wake of pandemic should by fully adhered to during the Vaikunda Ekadasi festival at the Srirangam Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple this year, Collector S.Sivarasu said here on Thursday.
The festival is to be held from December 14 to January 4 with the important event of opening of Paramapadavasal scheduled for December 25.According to available indications, an online booking system is likely to be introduced for devotees who wish to offer worship during the festival at the temple. The temple administration had already implemented such a system during Saturdays of the Tamil month of ‘Purattasi,’ when a large number of people throng the temple.
Speaking at a coordination meeting to discuss the arrangements being made for the festival, Mr.Sivarasu said only devotees wearing masks would be allowed to enter the temple. Those with symptoms of COVID 19 and people from containment zones would not allowed to enter the temple. Personal distance should be strictly followed.
He directed the Department of Health to deploy a mobile dispensary and organise and medical camps right through the festival period to provide emergency assistance to visiting devotees. Doctors and para medical staff should be on duty on the camps round the clock and an ambulance should be on standby, he said.
Mr.Sivarasu instructed the Corporation to improve hygiene and provide adequate water supply and public toilets in the temple town.
Police Commissioner J. Loganathan, P. Jayaraman, Executive Officer, Srirangam Ranganathaswamy Temple, and other officials participated in the meeting.
