Secunderabad’s Mahankali temple decked up for Bonalu on Sunday

With 10 lakh devotees expected to visit the temple for darshan of goddess Mahankali, over 1,500 police personnel will be deployed for bandobast at the temple in Secunderabad.

Hyderabad: The historical Ujjaini Mahankali temple and its precincts are decked-up to welcome lakhs of devotees from across Telangana and neighboring States for the two-day annual Sri Ujjaini Mahankali Bonalu festival, between Sunday and Monday.

With 10 lakh devotees expected to visit the temple for darshan of goddess Mahankali, over 1,500 police personnel will be deployed for bandobast at the temple in Secunderabad.

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To manage throngs of devotees and ensure stress-free darshan, a total of six queue lines have been established and an emergency exit has been planned at every 60 feet all along the barricading. The devotees will be taken out of the barricading in case of emergency. An emergency passage will be kept clear along the entire route to ensure the free movement of ambulances and fire equipment.

Police officials said that ‘jogins’ will be allowed direct access between 1.30 pm and 4 pm and a maximum of five persons will be allowed to accompany devotees carrying ‘bonam’ to enter the temple directly.

Over 100 CCTV cameras have been installed in the entire area to cover the major routes, bonalu processions and temple surroundings. Further, entire temple premises are being covered by surveillance cameras for precise monitoring.

A dedicated joint control room will be established to coordinate responses to any emergencies or incidents that may arise. This control room will operate round-the-clock to facilitate prompt action and assistance as required.

Officials said organisers should take mandatory police permission for ‘Palaharam Bandi’ processions. Use of DJs or loudspeakers will be strictly prohibited in the temple surroundings to maintain the essence and solemnity of the rituals. All processions must be completed by 12 noon on Monday . Sufficient crime teams and ‘She teams’ will be present at the venue to ensure safety of the public especially women and children.

Meanwhile, city police commissioner K.Srinivasa Reddy reviewed the security and traffic arrangements being made on the occasion of bonalu festival at Sri Simhavahini Mahankali and Akkanna Madanna temples in the old city on Friday.

“We will ensure that there will be no inconvenience to the devotees with the coordination of other government departments,” the commissioner added.