THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The city police are on their toes to avoid even a tiny lapse in the arrangements for the ‘Painguni Uthsavam’ at the Sree Padmanabha Swamy Temple, one of the wealthiest temples in the world. This year, there is a 20-per cent increase in the number of police personnel deployed in the temple, over the previous years. Now 300 police personnel are guarding the ‘uthsavam’ celebrations and rituals from the first day itself. On Friday, the day of the ‘arattu’, the number will be doubled to 600. The ‘uthsavam’, which started on March 28, will conclude on Friday. This is the second Painkuni Uthsavam after it was disclosed to the world that the Sree Padmanabha Swamy Temple has immense wealth in its vaults. From last year onwards, the cops are taking extra caution while making arrangements to give protection to the temple during the crowded ‘uthsavam’ days. “Every year, we are effecting a 20-30 per cent increase in the number of police personnel deployed in the temple during ‘uthasavam’ days. After it had become public that the temple is having enormous wealth, we are much more vigilant about the security arrangements,” said Fort Assistant Commissioner Radhakrishnan Nair. The 300 police personnel were mobilised from the various police stations in the city. There are 60 armed personnel from the AR camp and 20 cavalrymen. “Among the total police personnel, there are 15 officers and the others are civil police officers,” said Radhakrishnan Nair. The police have made the arrangements for the security of the temple ‘uthsavam’ in cooperation with the Temple Security Wing. The wing has been in charge for the past one year since the news of the wealth in temple vaults was revealed to the world. “There are no separate arrangements. We are doing it in cooperation with the police,” sources in the Temple Security Wing said.
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