Security up as Chaiter Navratra fair begins today

Our Correspondent

Kangra, March 27

The Kangra temple town, seat of one of the 52 Shakti peeths, Bajjreshwari, is all set for the Chaiter Navratra scheduled to start from tomorrow and the temples towns of Kangra, Chamunda and Jawalamukhi are already witnessing a rush of devotees.

The festival will conclude on April 5. Meanwhile, pilgrims started thronging this temple town to pay obeisance at Bajjreshwari temple.

Kangra SDM Debasweta Banik said sanitation, health and security arrangements had been made for the smooth functioning of the festival. She said an additional 25 sweepers were engaged for maintenance of sanitation and cleanliness within and outside the temple premises.

Kangra district Police Chief Sanjeev Gandhi said police, women police and Home Guards had been put on duty to maintain pilgrims’ traffic and keep the security tight within and outside the temples. He said adequate police personnel, headed by a gazetted officer, would keep a watch at each temple where pilgrims in thousands visit daily during the Navratras.

He said women police in adequate number both in uniform and plain clothes had been deployed in all the three temple towns. He said quick reaction teams and back-up security teams had been deployed.

He said the speed of vehicles in the three temple towns had been fixed at 10 km per hour and SHOs and DSPs concerned assigned duties to keep vigil on anti-social elements and traffic rule violators.

Arrangements made to tackle visitors’ rush

Una: The nine-day Chaiter Navratra fair will begin at the Chintpurni shrine from tomorrow. ADM Rajesh Kumar Maria said the district administration and the temple trust had made elaborate arrangements for the smooth conduct of the fair, which attracted 6 to 7 lakh devotees every year.

The ADM said the temple premises and its surroundings had been divided into three sectors, each of which would be under the command of a Sector Magistrate and a Sector Police Officer, while employees from various other departments would also be present. He informed that about 750 police and Home Guards personnel had been deployed for security duties.