Fri May 09 18:51:49 UTC 2025: ## Madurai Prepares for Kallazhagar’s River Entry with Enhanced Security Measures
**Madurai, India (May 10, 2025)** – Madurai City Police are implementing extensive security measures for the upcoming grand entry of Lord Kallazhagar into the Vaigai river on Monday. Following a deadly stampede during the 2022 Chithrai festival, authorities are prioritizing crowd control and safety.
Preparations include road leveling, covering scaffolding on under-construction bridges, installing barricades with lighting, and deploying CCTV cameras equipped with AI. To enhance personal safety, the police will distribute safety pins for women to secure jewelry and provide children with identification tags. QR code flex boards directing people to emergency police services have been placed at strategic locations.
A senior police officer highlighted the expected large turnout, estimating at least 70,000 people along Alagarkoil Road between Tallakulam temple and the river. The officer emphasized the lessons learned from the 2022 stampede, which resulted from the unexpected skipping of planned procession stops. This year, close coordination with HR&CE officials aims to maintain a schedule allowing for stops at all mandagapadies, preventing a similar incident. The procession is anticipated to take approximately four hours to traverse this section.
First Piper 