Thrissur (Keralam) | The famed Guruvayur Sree Krishna Temple in this district is set to witness over 400 weddings on September 13, with 409 ceremonies already booked, the Devaswom said on Thursday.
The day falls on the last Sunday of the Malayalam month of Chingam and is considered auspicious for weddings.
The number is likely to rise further as bookings can be made until the eve of the ceremonies, the Guruvayur Devaswom said in a Facebook post.
In view of the expected rush, the Devaswom, in coordination with the police, will make arrangements to facilitate smooth darshan and conduct of the wedding ceremonies.
Additional police personnel will be deployed inside and outside the shrine and across the temple town, keeping in view the anticipated heavy footfall and the safety of devotees.
Weddings will begin from 4 am to ensure their timely completion. Six mandapams will be arranged for the 'thalikettu' (tie the knot) ceremony, while additional staff will be deployed at the wedding venue to conduct the rituals.
A traditional musical ensemble will also be stationed nearby, the Devaswom said adding that the eastern entrance of the temple will be made completely one-way to regulate the movement of devotees and control the rush.
Devaswom chairman A V Gopinath and administrator S Harigopal appealed to devotees to extend their cooperation to ensure smooth darshan and conduct of the wedding ceremonies.
Meanwhile, the temple authorities said steps will be taken to keep the CCTV cameras installed inside and outside the shrine and across the temple town operational, while security personnel have been deployed for round-the-clock surveillance.
Strict legal action will be taken against any anti-social activities detected, the Devaswom said.
More than 1.5 lakh devotees had visited the temple on the recent Ashtami Rohini day, Gopinath said, adding that around 50,000 devotees had participated in the special 'prasada oottu' (feast) held on the occasion, the FB post added.
