Shimla, Oct 20 (IANS) More than one million devotees visited seven prominent temples and Shakti Peeths in Himachal Pradesh during the nine-day Ashwin Navratri festival from October 11 to 19, prompting extensive police arrangements for crowd and traffic management, the state government said on Tuesday.
A total of 1,025,726 pilgrims and 104,520 vehicles were recorded at the seven temples during the festival, according to the government.
The hilltop Naina Devi temple in Bilaspur district recorded the highest number of visitors, with 395,226 devotees, followed by Shri Jawalamukhi in Kangra district with 180,000 and Chintpurni temple in Una district with 139,000.
Bala Sundri temple in Trilokpur received 106,600 pilgrims, while Chamunda Devi temple recorded 70,500 visitors.
The Brijeshwari Devi temple and Baglamukhi temple received 69,400 and 65,000 devotees, respectively.
Chief Minister Sukhvinder Sukhu congratulated Himachal Pradesh Police on managing the influx of pilgrims and ensuring safe and orderly visits to the shrines.
He said ensuring the safety and convenience of large numbers of pilgrims was an important responsibility of the state government, and praised the coordination among police, district administrations, temple trusts, Home Guards and other agencies.
Police deployed personnel for crowd control, traffic regulation, parking and queue management, particularly at temples located in hilly areas with narrow access roads and limited parking facilities, the government said.
Chief Minister Sukhu also acknowledged police personnel who worked extended hours during the festival, as well as the support provided by temple authorities, volunteers, local residents and pilgrims.
He urged residents and visitors to use ERSS-112, the round-the-clock emergency helpline, to seek police, fire or ambulance assistance when required.
Himachal Director General of Police, Ashok Tewari, thanked the Chief Minister for recognising the force’s efforts and said the appreciation would motivate personnel to serve the public with greater dedication and professionalism.
Tewari also commended district police chiefs, supervisory officers and personnel deployed during the festival, reiterating the force’s commitment to the safety of pilgrims and tourists visiting the state.
–IANS
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