Agartala, Oct 20 (IANS) Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha on Monday inaugurated the three-day Diwali festival and mela at the Mata Tripura Sundari temple, one of the 51 Shakti Peethas revered by Hindus, at Udaipur in southern Tripura’s Gomati district.

Before formally inaugurating the Diwali festival and mela, the Chief Minister, accompanied by his wife Swapna Saha and several Cabinet colleagues, performed puja at the famous temple.

Transport and Tourism Minister Sushanta Chowdhury said that the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) is operating two special trains — Agartala–Dharmanagar–Agartala and Agartala–Sabroom–Agartala — for three days (October 20 to 22) to manage the heavy passenger rush during the festival and mela. Thousands of devotees from various parts of the country participate in the festivities every year.

Earlier, hundreds of people from Bangladesh also joined the annual Diwali festival and mela, but following last year’s political turmoil in the neighbouring country, the number of participants has drastically reduced. Gomati district Superintendent of Police (SP) Kiran Kumar K said that elaborate security arrangements have been made to maintain law and order during the three-day festivities.

As part of the security measures, over 3,000 security personnel, including those from the Tripura State Rifles (TSR), have been deployed. Thirty-seven CCTV cameras and 10 watchtowers have been installed in and around the temple complex for round-the-clock surveillance, the IPS officer said.

Forces from the district police and the CRPF have been deployed, while several hundred volunteers have been engaged to manage the large crowds and devotees expected during the three-day celebration. The district police chief said that regular vehicle checking and intensified patrolling are also being carried out to prevent any untoward incidents.

Meanwhile, fulfilling a long-awaited public demand, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on September 22 inaugurated the redeveloped Mata Tripura Sundari temple and offered prayers at the Kali temple.

A senior official of the Tourism Department said that under the PRASHAD (Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual Heritage Augmentation Drive) scheme of the Union Tourism Ministry, the 524-year-old Tripura Sundari temple has been redeveloped at a cost of over Rs 54 crore.

The Central government provided Rs 34.43 crore, while the Tripura government contributed Rs 17.61 crore towards the project. The temple, built in 1501 by the state’s erstwhile king Maharaja Dhanya Manikya in Udaipur, is one of the 51 Shakti Peethas in the country and the third such shrine in eastern India after the Kali temple in Kolkata’s Kalighat and the Kamakhya temple in Guwahati.

After 517 years of monarchy, on October 15, 1949, the erstwhile princely state of Tripura merged with the Indian Union following an agreement signed between Kanchan Prabha Devi, the then regent Maharani, and the Governor-General of India.

–IANS

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