Dasara opens at Kulasekarapattinam temple with expanded security

The annual Dasara festival began at the Mutharamman temple in Kulasekarapattinam on October 11, with 1,000 police personnel deployed and about 80 surveillance cameras installed.

The opening ceremony took place early on Sunday in Tamil Nadu's Thoothukudi district. A ceremonial flag was carried through the temple streets before being raised at around 5 a.m.

Thousands of devotees then tied kaappu, the traditional protective thread, around their wrists. The festival honours Lord Gnanamutheeswarar and Goddess Mutharamman and is a prominent Dasara celebration in southern India.

Religious and social organisations, together with Dasara groups, distributed food, refreshments, drinking water and packed meals to worshippers arriving for the celebrations.

District police chief R. Shiva Prasad directed security on the opening day, with two additional superintendents supervising the deployment. Officers of several ranks joined the operation. Surveillance cameras were placed at key points inside the temple grounds and in the surrounding area.