Kerala - Kochi   

Aluva all set for Sivarathri festival

Photo:H. Vibhu

RITUAL: The Aluva Manalppuram all set for the Sivarathri celebrations. —

KOCHI: The sand banks of the Periyar at Aluva attached to the Mahadeva Temple is all set for the Sivarathri festival on Monday. Lakhs of people converge to the manalppuram to offer bali tharpan to the ancestors.

While the arrangements of the ritual has been readied by the Travancore Devaswom Board, the security arrangements are being taken care of by a 1,500-posse of policemen under the supervision of P. Vijayan, Superintendent of Police. The Aluva river bank area has been cordoned off as a festival area and the town has been divided into different segments for easy policing. The police will be installing video cameras at important junctions to keep a vigil. Three mechanised boats with swimmers will also be around the river to take care of any untoward incident.

The TDB president, Commissioner and members will be reaching Aluva for the festival. Around 300 bali tharas have been arranged for the occasion. The Board has also made arrangements for appam, aravana, koottupayasam and vella nivedyam. Thanthri Chennas Parameshwaran Namboothirippad and melshanti Mullappalli Subramanian Namboodiri will lead the rituals that will start at midnight.

By Monday evening, people would be converging to the river bank from various parts of the district and beyond. Special arrangements have been made for buses to reach the town and to take the people to the river bank. Traffic regulations will be imposed on private and KSRTC buses reaching the town to lessen the congestion in the festival area.

Private buses coming from Ernakulam will have to reach the bus stand from the National Highway through Pulinvhuvadu junction and leave the stand from the west side through the road parallel to the NH.

Buses coming from Paravur Kavala will enter a temporary stand on the east side of the town. Temporary stand has been erected for KSRTC buses too coming from Angamaly and Paravur.

KSRTC buses from Perumbavur area will reach the Pump kavala and go the temporary bus stand near the Municipal town hall.

Private buses from the area will reach the old private stand near the railway station and go back via the Pump kavala.

Long distance buses will have to proceed straight on the NH and will not be allowed inside Aluva town. Parking will not be allowed on the side of the main roads in the town.

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