Police gear up for Vaikunta Ekadasi at Srirangam temple

The Tiruchi city police are gearing up to ensure security for devotees at the annual ‘Vaikunta Ekadasi’ festival at the Srirangam Sri Rangathaswamy temple

The Tiruchi city police are gearing up to ensure security for devotees at the annual ‘Vaikunta Ekadasi’ festival at the Srirangam Sri Rangathaswamy temple. The festival begins with the ‘Thirunedunthandagam’ on December 30. The highlight of the festival, split into ‘Pagal Pathu’ and ‘Iraa Pathu’, is the opening of the ‘Paramapadha Vaasal’ in the early hours on January 10. 

Ahead of the commencement of the festival, Commissioner of Police N. Kamini opened a temporary outpost within the sprawling temple complex on Sunday. The outpost is equipped with monitors to a network of surveillance cameras within the temple complex and outside.

Ms. Kamini told presspersons that 362 police personnel would be deployed for the ‘Pagal Pathu’ and ‘Iraa Pathu’ at the temple. Around 2,000 police personnel, including those from other districts, would be deployed on the day of the opening of the ‘Paramapada Vaasal’ on January 10, she said.   Detailed security arrangements would be put in place at the temple in coordination with the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department.

Surveillance cameras had been installed by the temple authorities and the city police within the temple complex and outside. Police teams would be deployed for regulation of traffic movements and for prevention of crimes during the festival period. 

A police release said parking of four-wheelers would not be allowed on Chithirai Veedhis and Uthra Veedhis this year. Parking lots had been created at ‘Panchakarai’ and ‘Melavaasal’. Watch towers would be established at road junctions. 

As many as 110 cameras installed within the temple complex have been synchronised with the Face Recognition Software app containing photographs of 70,000 criminals to alert the police in case of movement of criminals.