Meenakshi Sundareshwar temple consecration on Sept 17

Madurai: The Maha Kumbhabhishekam (consecration) of the renowned Sri Meenakshi Sundareshwar temple here will take place on September 17 with the temple administration and local authorities putting in place an extensive crowd control and monitoring measures.

Several lakhs of devotees are expected to witness the grand event which is being held after a gap of 17 years. According to temple source the ceremony will be held between 7.45 and 8.10 am. The Yagasala rituals commenced on September 11 and they would be held till September 16.

Regular darshan inside the sanctum during these days will be restricted and entry is allowed through the outer areas. Entry passes for the actual ceremony would be issued through a lottery system in order to prevent overcrowding inside the main complex in the shrine, the official said.

The Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments department has made arrangements for live broadcast of the event. The temple administration has installed LED screens at major public junctions like the Periyar bus stand and Mattuthavani integrated bus stand to stream the rituals for the benefit of the devotees.

Over 200 facial recognition and CCTV cameras along with round-the-clock control rooms have been activated to monitor the massive influx of devotees. Tamil Nadu Energy Resources and Law Minister R Nirmal Kumar inspected the arrangements for the event along with the temple officials.

About 6,000 staff have been deployed for the event and arrangements have been made to ensure parking for around 8,000 vehicles, the Minister later told reporters on Saturday.

“Around 2,000 passes have been earmarked for distribution to the public through online allotment system. All basic amenities have been made. For the first time, pipes have been laid for drinking water, and temporary toilets have also been arranged,” Kumar said.

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The Hans India