The district administration has also banned night-time padayatra this year. Devotees will be allowed to undertake the walk only between 7am and 5.30pm from Thaalabetta. As devotees undertaking padayatra have already started arriving at the hills from different parts of the state, including Mysuru, Chamarajanagar, Mandya, Bengaluru Rural, Ramanagar, Kanakapura and Bengaluru, from Feb 7 onwards, the forest department has deployed teams to monitor their movement in the hills. Every year, lakhs of devotees arrive at MM Hills by padayatra to offer special puja and seva during the Mahashivaratri jatra, including devotees from villages from neighbouring states of Tamil Nadu and Kerala. The forest department has deputed a team for every one kilometre of forest routes to assist devotees. With summer setting in, special teams have also been formed to check forest fires that could be triggered by misadventure along forest routes and paths to the hill shrine in the MM Hills Wildlife Sanctuary, in addition to ensuring safety of devotees. Loudspeakers have been arranged at Thaalabetta to advise devotees to move in groups on forest routes, use main roads to the hill shrine instead of climbing steps, avoid stairways, and remain in groups even while answering nature’s call. B Bhaskar, DCF, MM Hills Wildlife Sanctuary, said precautions, including drone surveillance, would be in place from Feb 7 to 20 to monitor both devotees and wildlife. AE Ragu, executive secretary of Srikshetra MM Hills Development Authority, said the authority is coordinating with the forest and police departments and has arranged temporary shelters and shade at Thaalabetta for devotees halting at night. Climbing is allowed only during permitted daytime hours, he added.
