Sabarimala: Kerala police to deploy over 10,000 security personnel for Mandala Pooja

The Kerala police have made elaborate security arrangements and have planned to deploy over 10,000 officers in and around Sabarimala for the Mandala Pooja festival. The deployment will be done over five phases starting from November 15. The temple will open on November 16 for the three-month-long pilgrimage season.

The Kerala police release said that 24 Superintendents of Police and Assistant Superintendents of Police, 112 Deputy SPs, 264 Inspectors, 1185 Sub-Inspectors will be posted. Also, a total of 8402 civil police officers, including 307 women, will be on duty around the shrine complex.

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Review meeting

On November 9, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan took stock of the preparations being carried out by various departments and the Travancore Devaswom Board to ensure a hassle-free pilgrimage.

A high-level meeting, attended by ministers, MLAs, Devaswom board representatives, and IAS and IPS officials besides the CM, reviewed various aspects, including availability of safe drinking water, medical, toilet and travel facilities, pollution control, security, repairing of roads and so on.

A total of 300 medical staff have been deployed at the hill shrine and premises for the pilgrimage season, an official release said. Besides, the existing Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) buses, an additional 379 services would be launched during the festival season, it said.

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Devaswom minister Kadakampally Surendran, who detailed various preparations at the meeting, said 'edathavalams' (halting places for devotees) were all ready. MLAs Raju Abraham and E S Bijimol, Chief Secretary Tom Jose, DGP Loknath Behera, and Devaswom Board president A Padmakumar were among the participants in the review meeting.

Earlier this month, Pinarayi Vijayan said that it is not possible to make laws to circumvent the Supreme Court's order permitting entry of women of all ages into the Sabarimala temple. The Supreme Court had on September 28 last year permitted the entry of women of all age groups into the Sabarimala Lord Ayyappa temple. 

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(with agencies input)