Chennai: The Madras high court directed the authorities to allow only 2,500 devotees atop the Annamalai Hill in Tiruvannamalai during the Karthigai deepam festival, scheduled to be held on December 2. Justice K.Ravichandrabaabu gave the direction following a suggestion from advocate general Vijay Narayan to allow 2,000 devotees and then revising the same to 2,500.
The judge was passing orders on a petition filed by a devotee, assailing the decision of the district collector not to permit any devotee to climb atop the holy hill this year. The previous festivals had seen loss of lives, accumulation of garbage, waste materials and spoiling of flora and fauna atop the hill, thereby causing pollution and a threat to ecology, the collector said.
The judge said that passes for devotees will be distributed at special counters on a first come first serve basis from 6 am on December 2. He also laid down conditions for the pass holders undertaking the uphill trek during the deepam festival.
The 2,500 passes will not include VIP passes. The district administration should open special counters to distribute passes to devotees who must come in a queue. Devotees will have to furnish proof of identity for obtaining passes, the judge added.
The judge said that devotees should use only the designated pathway to climb the hill, that too only through the designated entry point near the Pey Gopuram.
They should return within the prescribed time and only carry plastic drinking water bottles. They should not carry camphor, crackers and other inflammable materials. They should not light deepam in any place atop the bill, and only pour ghee at the designated kopparai where the Karthigai deepam was lit, the judge added.
The judge directed the authorities to deploy adequate number of police personnel atop the hill to see that no untoward incident takes place during the festival. All suitable arrangements must be made without giving room for any complaint from any quarters, the judge added.
