The Kalika Mata temple, the village deity of Nashik, will remain open 24 hours during the upcoming Sharadiya Navratri festival from September 22 to October 6, with CCTV surveillance and enhanced facilities for devotees. 

Temple trust president Keshav Anna Patil said thousands of devotees from Nashik, as well as neighbouring Dhule, Jalgaon and Ahilyanagar, visit the temple during the festival. Planning is underway with various agencies to ensure a hassle-free darshan. This year’s Kalika festival will continue from Ghatasthapana to Kojagiri Pournima. 

A preparatory review meeting was attended by Mumbai Naka Police Station’s Vaponi Santosh Narute, Temple Devasthan secretary Pratap Kothawle, treasurer Subhash Talajia, and trustees Aba Pawar, Datta Patil and Kishor Kothawle. 

Patil said group insurance worth Rs 2 crore will be taken out for devotees, Rs 1 crore for the goddess’s ornaments, and insurance cover will also be provided for the service team. Kakadarati will be held daily at 3.30 am and Maha Aarti at 12.30 pm.

For security, 60 CCTV cameras will be installed, with separate darshan arrangements for men and women. The temple authority will also deploy its own security with male and female bouncers.

Civil security forces, home guards, police, fire services and generators will be on duty round-the-clock. Around 100 male and 100 female volunteers will focus on cleanliness.

An emergency medical room and ambulance facilities will be available, along with wheelchairs for elderly and disabled devotees. A ‘donation darshan’ system will be provided for immediate access. Shopkeepers in the area have been asked to strictly follow the plastic ban.