Priority for parking, sanitation during Vaikunta Ekadasi festival

Collector Jayashree Muralidharan speaking at the review meeting on the arrangements to be made for Vaikunta Ekadasi festival at Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple in Srirangam on Thursday. 

Planning of parking facility for vehicles coming from other districts to Tiruchi, special medical camps, parking of ambulance, and 108 service vehicle, construction of temporary toilets and urinals will be some of the arrangements to be made for the forthcoming Vaikunta Ekadasi festival at Srirangam Sri Ranganathaswamy temple.

A department-wise discussion was taken up at a preliminary meeting convened by the district administration at the temple to chalk out plan for the festival here on Thursday.

Presiding over the meeting, Jayashree Muralidharan, District Collector, said the festival would commence on December 21 with the recital of ‘Tirunedunthandagam’ and conclude on January 11, 2015. As the main festival of ‘Vaikunta Ekadasi’ falls on New Year’s Day, the district administration has planned to take up additional arrangements. She said that round-the-clock power supply would be ensured for three days (December 31, January 1 and 2) when a large congregation of devotees would gather at the temple. This was a preliminary meeting and the second meeting would be held close to the festival. A. Jaya, Mayor, said that water tanks would be set up at 51 places. Temporary toilets would also be set up at select places around the temple. V.P.Thandapani, Corporation Commissioner, said that steps would be taken to clear pavement vendors, especially near the entrance to the ‘Rajagopuram’. Shailesh Kumar Yadav, City Police Commissioner, said that a periodical assessment of vehicles from all over the State entering the city would be conducted – first meeting 10 days ahead of the festival and second meeting two days ahead of the festival. Both the Corporation Commissioner and Police Commissioner said special arrangements would be made for parking the vehicles. Mr.Yadav said the vehicles from outside the districts would be parked at these grounds.

K.Chandra, Joint Director of Health, said that four medical teams would be stationed at the temple all through the festival. Each team would comprise a doctor, staff nurses and paramedical personnel. To meet any emergency, ambulances and ‘108’ van would also be parked in the vicinity of the temple for immediate transit to the nearest hospital. A. Ramakrishnan, Designated Officer for Food Safety, said that free food packets should be distributed only after proper scrutiny by the food safety personnel. A special team of 22 officials from different parts of the state would supervise the hygienic quality of food packets. Those interested in making arrangements for free distribution of foods could contact him by dialling 98430 – 80106.

P. Jayaraman, Joint Commissioner and Executive Officer of the temple, said that an information centre would be set up at the temple. Hassle-free darshan would be ensured for devotees.