Malwa Navratri temples see new police post, CCTV cover and development works

Temple towns in the Malwa region of western Madhya Pradesh saw large gatherings and fresh administrative arrangements on the first day of Shardiya Navratri, 11 October, according to reports by Free Press Journal and ETV Bharat. The measures range from a new police post to development works and extra surveillance.

At Maa Baglamukhi temple in Nalkheda, Agar Malwa district, more than 75,000 devotees visited between 4 am and 11 am, Free Press Journal reported, citing an IANS post. It said darshan began with the Mangala Aarti. On the same day, Superintendent of Police Dilip Kumar Soni inaugurated a permanent police post at the temple. The post is meant to improve security, crowd and traffic management and law and order during Navratri and other major festivals, the paper reported. According to the report, residents had long demanded the post and had raised the issue with the Ujjain Division ADG and IG, Rakesh Kumar Gupta, at a public trust camp.

In Neemuch, Collector Himanshu Chandra performed the kalash installation at Maa Bhadwamata temple and inspected fair arrangements. Free Press Journal said the Ujjain Division Commissioner had approved projects worth about 5 crore rupees, including shop modernisation, parking on Sawan Road, landscaping, CCTV cameras and screens. Works worth 13.90 crore rupees, including a hall, pathways, a rest house and a corridor, are under way, while works worth over 4 crore rupees, including 85-kilowatt rooftop solar panels, a concrete road and drains, are complete. The Collector directed officials to ensure drinking water, lighting, sanitation, subsidised food, parking and facilities for elderly and disabled devotees.

In Dewas, devotees are expected to throng the temples of Badi Mata Tuljabhavani and Chhoti Mata Chamunda on Tekri hill for nine days, ETV Bharat reported. Priest Mukesh Nath told the outlet that the site is regarded as a Raktapeeth and Ardhashaktipeeth, a belief he linked to King Bhartrihari and to Vardai, a commander of Prithviraj Chauhan. The report said more than 1,000 police personnel are deployed, and Superintendent of Police Puneet Gehlod said over 100 CCTV cameras cover the Tekri premises.

Elsewhere in the region, Free Press Journal reported that in Ratlam, Circle Superintendent of Police Satyendra Ghanghoria said 122 committees have been permitted to hold public religious events, with police and executive magistrates keeping watch. Garba programmes and worship there will continue for nine days.

These accounts come from local reporting and official statements as quoted by the newspapers. The crowd figure for Nalkheda was taken from a social media post cited by Free Press Journal and has not been independently verified by Vindhya Satta. Devotees travelling to any of these temples are advised to check local administration notices for traffic and darshan arrangements.