Heavy security, strict checks, massive crowds mark the celebrations
Thousands of devotees, religious and political leaders from across Goa and other states converged at the Shree Samsthan Gokarn Partagali Jeevottam Math on Friday.
CANACONA
Thousands of devotees, religious and political leaders from across Goa and other states converged at the Shree Samsthan Gokarn Partagali Jeevottam Math in Canacona to participate in the Sardha Panchashatamanotsava, the 550th-year celebration of the historic Math, on Friday.
It was an event unprecedented at the Math as PM Narendra Modi unveiled Asia’s tallest 77-foot bronze statue of Prabhu Shri Ram, inaugurated the Ramayana Theme Park Garden, the 3D Projection Mapping, and released a special postal stamp and commemorative coin to mark the occasion.
The area wore a festive look as all roads and streets leading to Partagali Math were decorated with flyers and billboards of Partagali Math’s present and previous Swamis, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Pramod Sawant. Traffic police and police in uniform were placed along the roads and at strategic points on internal roads throughout Canacona.
With heavy deployment of security, devotees, outstation Mahajans and invitees faced some difficulty entering the precincts of the Shree Samsthan Gokarn Jeevottam Math.
Hundreds of policemen were deployed all over the Math premises and venue to handle security arrangements. Traffic arrangements were managed professionally as over 480 traffic policemen from all over the State were pressed into service. The gate was opened as early as 8 am, with devotees flocking to the venue and each one subjected to an elaborate security check.
With the parking arrangements at distant places, people were transported in KTC and other vehicles up to the main entrance gate.
Only those carrying an invitation pass with a valid photo identity card were allowed for security clearance and allowed to enter inside, and were transported on buggies and minibuses up to the premises 1 km away.
A counter was set up to deposit vehicle keys and except for a mobile phone, no gadgets such as power banks, cigarettes/lighters, selfie sticks, wooden sticks, coins, hazardous substances, flags/banners, sharp objects, bags, glass bottles, umbrellas, helmets, liquor, musical instruments, food, matchboxes, weapons, illegal substances, powder (any kind), computers/tablets, tins/cans, fireworks/crackers, pet animals, megaphones/vuvuzelas, recorders/transistors, laser pointers, metal containers, flammable substances, water bottles and whistles/sirens were allowed inside the venue.
Several Partagali Math Mahajans dressed in traditional attire were seen assisting the traffic police and policemen outside the main gate and helping the devotees to board either the buggies or tempo travellers after the security clearances.
Such was the security protocol that even vehicles belonging to police, ministers and government officers were not allowed entry without VVIP passes. Security personnel even stopped a government vehicle carrying officials from proceeding inside without valid passes.
A luxury car found parked inside the VVIP lounge close to the Math was towed away before the arrival of the PM’s entourage. A dog-catching team with nets from the Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Services was deployed to take away any dogs or cats straying inside the Math compound to avoid any breach of the PM’s security.
By 12.30 pm, the pandal with seating arrangements for 12,000 people filled to capacity and the excitement among the thousands gathered at the venue was palpable.
As the Prime Minister’s entourage was scheduled to arrive by 3.05 pm, security personnel took control of the main entrance gate near the old NH-66 road at the Partagali junction.
Among the dignitaries at the event were Governor Pusapati Ashok Gajapathi Raju, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, Union Minister Shripad Naik, Sports Minister Ramesh Tawadkar, Public Works Minister Digambar Kamat, Math Committee Chairman and noted industrialist Shrinivas Dempo, and Chief Postmaster General Amitabh Singh.
During his visit to the Partagali Math, Shrimad Vidyadheesh Teerth Swamiji personally accompanied the Prime Minister through the premises, explaining the historical and spiritual significance of various sites within the Math.
On the occasion, Swamiji felicitated Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Governor Pusapati Ashok Gajapathi Raju and Chief Minister Pramod Sawant with shawls and mementoes.
The entire Canacona taluka has been geared up for the historic event, with authorities declaring a holiday for schools in and around Canacona on Friday.
Anticipating the huge flow of devotees from across India to the Math, Konkan Railway has approved a temporary one-minute halt for six trains at Canacona Railway Station from November 26 to December 6.
