Massive crowd management, safety measures for Karthigai Deepam festival in TN

Chennai, Dec 1
With lakhs of devotees arriving daily for the Karthigai Deepam festival, the Tiruvannamalai district administration in Tamil Nadu has put in place one of its largest-ever security and logistics arrangements to ensure the smooth conduct of the celebrations.

The festivities, which began on November 24, will culminate with the Maha Deepam on December 3, drawing devotees from across Tamil Nadu and neighbouring states. To manage the enormous surge of pilgrims on December 3, more than 15,000 police personnel will be deployed across the temple town. This includes units manning 24 watchtowers set up at key points.

District Collector K. Tharpagaraj and Superintendent of Police M. Sudhakar inspected civic amenities around the Arunachaleswarar Temple and the 14-km Girivalam path, assessing crowd preparedness in the lead-up to the festival’s peak.

An estimated 40-45 lakh devotees are expected in Tiruvannamalai on Maha Deepam day alone. The temple car procession held on Sunday (November 30) saw around six lakh devotees, offering a preview of the massive turnout anticipated.

To strengthen surveillance, 1,060 CCTV cameras have been installed across the town, with 303 cameras dedicated to the temple premises. Authorities have also pinpointed 26 vulnerable spots, where additional safety measures such as watchtowers and police patrols are being introduced.

The district administration will operate 24 temporary bus termini on the outskirts of the town with a combined parking capacity of 2,325 buses. A total of 4,764 special buses, covering 11,293 trips, will ferry devotees from various districts, particularly on December 3 and 4.

As private vehicles will not be allowed inside the town on Maha Deepam day to prevent congestion, 180 shuttle services will run between the temporary bus stands and the Girivalam path/temple at a fare of Rs 10 per person. Additionally, 130 parking lots with space for 19,815 cars have been arranged outside the town.

Jute mats will be laid across two kilometres of footpaths to help devotees walk comfortably, while children will receive safety wristbands to prevent accidental separation from families. The Health Department will set up 85 mobile medical desks, supported by 45 ambulances, including five bike ambulances.

Festival infrastructure also includes 136 drinking water points, 836 washrooms (with 483 along the Girivalam route), and 1,258 streetlights across key stretches. To maintain hygiene, 3,600 sanitary workers will be deployed throughout the festival period.

Daily processions of deities along the Mada Streets continue to draw large crowds as the spiritual fervour intensifies.

The lighting of the Maha Deepam atop the 2,668-ft Arunachala hill on December 3 will mark the most sacred moment of the festival, after which the celebrations will move into the vibrant Theppa Thiruvizha (float festival) over the following three days.