Tiruvannamalai, August 8, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Drone operations have been prohibited in and around key areas of Tiruvannamalai for two days as authorities put in place a high-level security apparatus for Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s visit to the temple town on Saturday.
Shah is scheduled to begin a two-day tour of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry on Saturday. After completing engagements in Maharashtra, he is expected to fly to Chennai and travel by helicopter to Tiruvannamalai, where he is scheduled to arrive at around 4.20 p.m.
From the helipad, the Home Minister will travel by road to Sri Ramanasramam on Girivalam Road. He is expected to spend about an hour there and participate in special prayers before proceeding to the Arunachaleswarar Temple for darshan.
Shah is scheduled to leave Tiruvannamalai at around 6 p.m. and travel by road to Puducherry for the next phase of his tour.
Ahead of the visit, district authorities and police have intensified security arrangements throughout the town. Helipads have been readied at the Government Arts College grounds and near Unnamalai Amman Nagar along the Girivalam route.
Central Reserve Police Force personnel and advance security teams conducted helicopter landing rehearsals at the designated helipads on Friday. Union Home Ministry security officials also held a detailed review meeting with District Collector Vandana Garg and Superintendent of Police Udayakumar at the Collectorate.
Security teams inspected the routes linking the helipads with Sri Ramanasramam and the Arunachaleswarar Temple, as well as the road route from Tiruvannamalai to Puducherry. Separate inspections were also carried out at the ashram and temple.
Under the security protocol, the district administration has banned drones, remotely controlled aircraft and other unmanned aerial vehicles around the helipads, venues and designated VIP routes on Saturday and Sunday.
Collector Vandana Garg said the restrictions were imposed to ensure public safety, strengthen security for the Home Minister and prevent potential threats arising from unauthorised UAV operations.
More than 1,000 police personnel have been deployed across Tiruvannamalai under a three-tier security arrangement for Shah’s visit.
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