Devotees Brave Heat for Darshan at Simhachalam

Visakhapatnam: Thousands of devotees thronged the Sri Varaha Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy temple at Simhachalam on Saturday, braving intense heat to have darshan of the deity during the weekend rush.

Temple authorities made elaborate arrangements to manage the heavy influx of devotees. Executive officer Jallepalli Venkatrao personally supervised operations, distributed water bottles to devotees waiting in queues and monitored arrangements at the tonsure hall after crowds surged unexpectedly.

The highlight of the day was the resumption of the auspicious “Swarnapushparchana” ritual, which received an overwhelming response from devotees. On the inaugural day, 28 couples participated in the ritual by offering golden flowers inside the sanctum sanctorum and Bhoga Mandapam.

Temple officials said the ritual offered devotees a rare spiritual experience. Assistant Executive Officer Pilla Srinivasa Rao, Supervisory Officer K. Venkateswara Rao and temple staff coordinated arrangements to streamline darshan and manage the crowds.

Special arrangements were also made to provide buttermilk and drinking water along queue lines, while additional counters were opened for speedy distribution of prasadams.