The Aryavarth Express
Thoothukudi (Tamil Nadu): The Thoothukudi city market witnessed heightened activity from the early hours today as devotees prepared to celebrate the Karthigai Deepam festival. Large quantities of fresh agricultural produce arrived, giving the market a lively, festive atmosphere.
Banana stems, banana leaves, coconuts, lemons, palm leaves for making kozhukattai, and traditional Karthigai earthen lamps were brought in from different parts of the region to meet the spike in demand. Vendors noted that sales typically surge during Karthigai Deepam, adding that this year’s rain had little impact on the festive buying.
Meanwhile, in Tiruvannamalai, preparations for the ongoing Karthigai Deepam festival—scheduled from November 24 to December 7—have been intensified. Authorities have put in place an extensive security and traffic management plan to handle the massive inflow of devotees expected for the Maha Deepam.
More than 15,000 police personnel will be deployed across the temple town to ensure smooth crowd movement and public safety. As part of surveillance measures, 24 watchtowers have been set up, and police teams will monitor all major entry points leading to the Arunachaleswarar Temple. Only vehicles with valid permits will be allowed into restricted zones.
On Maha Deepam day, vehicle entry will be heavily restricted, with traffic diversions planned throughout the town. Devotees will be guided to designated parking facilities and temporary bus terminals located on the outskirts.
To strengthen security, the administration has installed 1,060 CCTV cameras—303 of them inside the temple premises. Officials have also identified 26 sensitive locations for intensified patrolling and monitoring.
Anticipating an extraordinary influx of devotees, the district administration has set up 24 temporary bus termini capable of accommodating 2,325 buses. A fleet of 4,764 special buses operating 11,293 trips will run from multiple districts, particularly on December 3 and 4. Several regular bus routes have been diverted to ensure uninterrupted movement for emergency and festival-related vehicles.
Authorities have urged devotees to adhere to the guidelines and make use of the special transport services to ensure a safe, smooth, and spiritually fulfilling Maha Deepam experience.
