Srirangam will be brought under a thick blanket of security in connection with Vaikunta Ekadasi on Tuesday at Ranganathaswamy Temple with a large turnout of devotees expected this year.
The highlight of the annual festival is the opening of the Paramapadha Vaasal in the early hours of Tuesday through which the Namperumal, the processional deity, will exit after being taken in a procession followed by devotees in large numbers.
In addition to mobilising the entire city police, manpower strength has been augmented by drawing personnel from other districts like Kancheepuram, Ariyalur, Tiruvarur, Nilgiris, Karur, Salem, Theni, Namakkal, Pudukottai and Villupuram besides those from the Armed Reserve and Tamil Nadu Special Police battalions.
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A detailed security scheme has been prepared by the police for the festival with field-level officers having been briefed about their roles and responsibilities. The temple premises has been divided into different sectors where police personnel will be deployed. Sizeable strength will be posted outside the temple to regulate movement of devotees and vehicles coming to the shrine from various places. As per the scheme, seven Superintendents of Police, 13 Additional Superintendents of Police, 40 Deputy Superintendents of Police and over 100 Inspectors form part of the security arrangements.
Vigil will be mounted through a chain of surveillance cameras installed within the temple premises and outside and through watch towers. Anti-sabotage teams will be positioned at vantage points in and around the temple. Over 3,500 police personnel will be deployed on Tuesday for the festival.
Deployment will be done in full swing on Monday. A meeting of police officers in connection with the security-related arrangements was held here on Sunday to brief them about their assigned tasks.
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