Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala): Kerala police have made elaborate security arrangements and has planned to deploy over 10,000 officers in and around Sabarimala for the Mandala Pooja festival.
The deployment will be done over five phases starting from November 15. The temple will open on November 16 for the three-month-long pilgrimage season. The Kerala police release said that 24 Superintendents of Police and Assistant Superintendents of Police, 112 Deputy SPs, 264 Inspectors, 1185 Sub-Inspectors will be posted. Also, a total of 8402 civil police officers, including 307 women, will be on duty around the shrine complex.
Earlier this month, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said that it is not possible to make laws to circumvent the Supreme Court's order permitting entry of women of all age into the Sabarimala temple. The Supreme Court had on September 28 last year permitted the entry of women of all age groups into the Sabarimala Lord Ayyappa temple.
