Ambaji (North Gujarat): Special focus has been kept on cleanliness and plastic-free theme during the week long Bhadarvi Poonam Mela of the world famous Ambaji temple in Banaskantha district of North Gujarat which began today.

Several first-time measures including deployment of drone cameras for surveillance and provision of Radio Frequency Identification Device (RFID) for preventing any possibility of missing of a children in the highly crowded fair and easy tracking in such cases have been taken for the fair which would conclude on September 25.

Notably the footfall during the fair remains in excess of 20 lakhs.

Media coordinator of the Shri Arasuri Ambaji Mata Devasthan Trust (SAAMDT), the body that looks after the management of the temple, one of the 51 shaktipeeths (divine power-centres) of mother goddess where her heart is believed to have fallen according to Hindu mythology, Ashish Rawal today said that the theme of the fair was plastic free and cleanliness awareness this time around.

Meanwhile, the local traders who had kept their shops and other establishments shut for five days protesting against the blanket ban on plastic for five days had opened them last evening.

Rawal said that the temple would remain open till 0130am post midnight during melas days against the usual timing of 9pm. The rope way service would start early moring at 5 am and would remain operational till the time required. 6 buses on the three parking points have been provided for free of cost carrying of senior citizens and persons with special needs to the temple. The RFID with QR codes for children would be made at 5 centers and was not mandatory. A private telecom company is providing this service and such RFIDs could be worn in the necks.

He also said that this time the number of CCTV cameras for surveillance of the fair have been doubled to 200. A free helpline number 02749-262040 for the mela has also been announced. Web cast and other social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter were being used. A total of 28 lakh packets of prasad have been prepared in the wake of the flood of devotees during the mela.

Meanwhile over a dozen committees have been formed by the Banaskantha district administration in co-ordination with the trust to take care of the mela management. Large number of policemen have been deployed to prevent any untoward incident during the mela which traditionally begins on the ninth day of Bhadarva month of the Gujarati calendar and culminates on Poonam or full moon day of the same month (September 19 and 25 this year). The mela area spread over a radial distance of around 3 km from the shrine is being monitored through control room.

The temple town of Ambaji is situated at a distance of approximately 65 km from Palanpur,the headquarter town of Banaskantha district, 45 km from Mount Abu and 20 km from Abu Road in neighbouring Rajasthan and 185 km from Ahmedabad.

Approach roads to Ambaji from various sides is seeing rush of devotees many of whom reach the temple walking on foot with slogan of ‘Bol Mari Ambe, Jai Jai Ambe’.

Notably amid the outbreak of Swine-flu last year which had claimed over 300 lives then the mela held from August 31 to September 6 last year had kept ‘Awarness of Swine flu and protective measures’ as its central theme.