MADURAI: Amidst election duty, 3000 police personnel in Dindigul would be deployed to provide security for over 10 lakh devotees who are expected to the throng the Palani Dandhayudapani temple on the occasion of the Panguni Uthiram festival in mid-April.
Panguni Uthiram is one of the important festivals of the temple and draws people from across the state to the hill temple. Flag-hoisting for the festival will be held on April7, the thirukalyanam or celestial wedding on April 12 and the car festival is scheduled on April 13.
Every year elaborate arrangements are undertaken by the Dindigul district administration and the temple authorities weeks before the festival. A meeting in this regard was called by the Dindigul district collector N Venkatachalam on Wednesday. The temple joint commissioner Rajamanickam and Dindigul SP Jayachandran were also present. It was decided to provide 60 shelters to house the devotees during the festival and 500 special buses are to be operated.
This year’s festival would pose a challenge to authorities as it would be held when the campaigning for the Lok Sabha election would be at its peak. Political parties would use the opportunity to woo voters in every possible way as supervising their activities amidst the sea of devotees would not be an easy task, sources said.