Get ready, devotees! Tiruvannamalai is shining brighter this Karthigai Deepam season, thanks to a bold crackdown on illegal roadside shops and extensions around the sacred Arunachaleswarar Temple. On Wednesday, officials launched a major demolition drive to clear the often-crowded Mada Streets — the four main roads that wrap around the temple. This means more space for the millions of pilgrims expected to visit during the festival till December 7. State Highways officials, with Collector K. Tharpagaraj and Tiruvannamalai Corporation Commissioner S. Selva Balaji personally inspecting the work, are also getting rid of illegal structures along the 14-km Girivalam path. The clear-up mission will wrap up quickly, within a day or two. According to S. Anbarasu, Assistant Executive Engineer of State Highways, "More road space will help senior citizens and children to walk safely around the temple and the Girivalam path. The entire stretch will be restored to its original width." Many encroachments had sprung up on newly built stormwater drains. Picture this: two-wheelers and bicycles parked right on the walking paths, blocking devotees eager to reach the temple. Some pilgrims like K. Pavithra expressed relief, saying, "Providing more road space is a welcome measure as pedestrians, mostly devotees, struggle to walk safely on the stretches due to make-shift shops." The numbers are huge! On special occasions like Chitra Pournami, Tiruvannamalai sees about three lakh visitors. But on the biggest day, Maha Deepam on December 3, this number swells to a whopping 40 lakh. To keep things smooth and safe, all vehicles, even two-wheelers, are banned in the town on that day. Adding to the good news, the Highways Department's ₹15-crore project to lay a strong new concrete carriageway along the Mada Streets is almost finished. This will clear out potholes and give pilgrims a comfortable, safe walk to the temple. So, get ready to enjoy a smooth, safe pilgrimage this festive season!