Sabarimala Opens On 5 November To Honour Travancore Ruler Sree Chithra Thirunal, Police To Beef Up Security

The Sabarimala Ayyappa temple is due to open on 5 November for a single day’s puja on the birth anniversary of Sree Chithira Tirunal, the ruler of erstwhile Travancore, reports The Hindu. Special puja’s will be organised in the ruler’s honour on the occasion.

However, the police have already registered 529 cases and arrested 3,305 devotees for ‘inciting violence’. Almost 122 ‘Save Sabarimala’ activists alleged to be responsible for attacks on women pilgrims, journalists and destruction of public property were remanded in judicial custody.

Reports also suggest that the police would impose prohibitory orders in the locality. The police said they would deploy roughly 700 officers for Sabarimala duty. Armed police battalions, including companies of armed women officers, would bivouac at the Pathanamthitta district headquarters.

The police and wildlife enforcers would also work in tandem to ensure that no miscreant enters Sabarimala through the forest route from Erumely.

A senior officer said the police reserved the right to stop anybody they thought was not a genuine pilgrim from proceeding to the temple. He said the police were not anticipating huge crowds on 5 November. Saying that “we are not ruling out troublemakers”, the state police will bring Sabarimala and adjoining areas under a tight security cover from 2 November onwards.