Copyright thehindu
Udupi Deputy Commissioner T.K. Swaroopa on Wednesday asked district administration officials to make preparations to provide basic facilities to people arriving for the Paryaya Mahotsav of Udupi Sri Krishna Mutt in January 2026. Speaking while presiding over a preliminary meeting at her office in connection with the Mahotsav, Ms. Swaroopa said that law and order should also be properly maintained during the celebrations. The biennial Mahotsav marks the transfer of responsibilities — the management of the mutt-cum-temple and the exclusive right to worship Lord Krishna — from one mutt to another. There are eight mutts in Udupi. The Mahotsav will be held on January 18, 2026. Vedavardhana Tirtha, the seer of Udupi Shiroor Mutt, will ascend the Paryaya Peetha for the first time. He was anointed as the 31st seer of Shiroor Mutt on May 14, 2021. The Deputy Commissioner said that basic facilities such as toilets and drinking water as a large number of people are expected to attend the festival. She instructed the police department to make temporary parking arrangements for the smooth movement of vehicles. She added that all roads should be repaired ahead of the occasion and Udupi City Municipality should ensure that cleanliness is maintained during the festival. The street lights should be in good condition too, Ms. Swaroopa said. If necessary, precautionary measures should be taken to prevent crowding in the premises of the mutt and prevent disruption of public movement. More police should be deployed for security in the city. CCTV cameras should be installed in sensitive areas, and control rooms should be operational round the clock, the Deputy Commissioner added. The Deputy Commissioner instructed health department officials to temporarily set up two health centres with doctors and medical staff near the mutt to provide emergency health treatment and deploy ambulances. She further said that KSRTC buses should be arranged as per the demand in order to facilitate the movement of devotees. Package tours can also be arranged to enable tourists to visit local tourist spots. She stated that necessary steps should be taken for continuous electricity supply during the Mahotsav, and additional firefighting vehicles should be deployed. Ms. Swaroopa instructed forest department officials to clear dangerous trees along the route of the Pura Pravesha procession. Udupi MLA Yashpal Suvarna said that more parking spaces are needed during the festival time. Superintendent of Police Hariram Shankar also took part in the meeting.
