TN: Heavy security in place for Kulasekaranpattinam Dussehra festival

Thoothukudi: Heavy security has been put in place at the Mutharamman Temple in Tamil Nadu's Kulasekaranpattinam, with 3,700 police personnel deployed as devotees gather for the midnight Soorasamharam ceremony on Tuesday, the highlight of the annual Dussehra festival.

Lakhs of devotees are expected to converge on the coastal town near Tiruchendur in Thoothukudi district for the ceremony, which marks the culmination of the festival’s principal celebrations.

Police have strengthened surveillance and deployed personnel from other districts to ensure the safety of pilgrims and the public. The festival began with the ceremonial flag hoisting on October 11. Since then, devotees from Thoothukudi, Tirunelveli and other places have been arriving at the shrine, many wearing elaborate costumes after observing a period of fasting and religious austerities.

In a statement detailing the arrangements, district Superintendent of Police (SP) Sivaprasad said the security operation would be supervised by four Superintendents of Police, assisted by 14 Additional Superintendents and 47 Deputy Superintendents. The deployment covers the main festival period from Monday to Tuesday, when the town witnesses a substantial influx of visitors.

Alongside uniformed personnel, plainclothes policemen and policewomen have been assigned surveillance duties to detect suspicious activity and prevent offences in crowded areas. Ten watchtowers and around 50 police assistance centres have been established to support monitoring and help visitors. Seven mobile surveillance camera vehicles and more than 300 fixed cameras have also been deployed across the festival area.

Automatic Number Plate Recognition cameras have been installed on three major roads to identify vehicle registration numbers and assist police in tracking vehicles entering and moving through the town. A monitoring screen at the Kulasekaranpattinam police station receives surveillance feeds, with personnel maintaining a round-the-clock watch.

The arrangements are intended to help officers identify potential problems and coordinate a prompt response as crowds build ahead of the midnight ceremony.

Five drone cameras will provide aerial surveillance, while five facial recognition cameras will support efforts to identify suspects.

Police said more than 1,000 photographs of offenders had been uploaded to the recognition system. If a person whose photograph is in the database comes within camera range, officers can monitor their movements and take appropriate action, police said.

With devotees continuing to stream into Kulasekaranpattinam, the extensive deployment and surveillance network will remain central to security arrangements during the festival’s most important ceremony on Tuesday night.

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