Thiruvairanikulam ‘nadathurappu’ tomorrow

KOCHI:  The annual ‘nadathurappu’ festival at Thiruvairanikulam temple which will commence with the opening of the shrine of Parvathi that remains closed through the rest of the year, will get underway on Saturday. The festivities will begin with a pooja at the Akavoor mana and bringing of the ornaments used in the temple of Paravthi. The sanctum sanctorum will be opened at 8 pm on Saturday.

On other days, during the course of the annual festival, devotees can have darshan from 3 am to 1.30 pm and 4 to 8 pm. Meanwhile, District Collector K Muhammed Y Safirullah convened a special meeting to review the security arrangements to ensure a safe pilgrimage for the thousands expected to throng the temple. Deva swom Minister Kadakampally Surendran chaired a separate meeting to take stock of the arrangements. The green protocol will be observed.

The booking for the virtual queue system has elicited a massive response. Bus services will be made available from the temple premises till late at night on festival days. Three parking grounds have been readied. Barricades and queue areas which can accommodate around 25,000 people have also been set up. Besides, 350 private security guards will be stationed on the premises to ensure hassle-free darshan. A medical team with an ambulance will be on standby.