Nellore: Sunday Brings Massive Influx Of Devotees Into Nellore’s Bara Shaheed Dargah
The unique tradition of exchanging symbolic rotis continued, with "job," "marriage" and "child-blessing" rotis remaining the most sought-after: Reports
NELLORE: The annual Rottela Panduga at the historic Bara Shaheed Dargah in Nellore witnessed on Sunday a massive influx of devotees, including political leaders, who hailed the shrine as a symbol of communal harmony and offered prayers for the prosperity of Andhra Pradesh.
On the third day of the festival, the dargah and all its nine ghats at Swarnala Cheruvu remained packed with pilgrims, with long queues spilling onto adjoining roads. Devotees arrived from across Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and several other states.
The unique tradition of exchanging symbolic rotis continued, with "job," "marriage" and "child-blessing" rotis remaining the most sought-after.
Sarvepalli MLA Somireddy Chandramohan Reddy, accompanied by Waqf Board chairman Sk. Abdul Azeez, offered prayers and said the dargah transcends caste and religious barriers, attracting devotees from all communities. He said attendance has grown from around four lakh devotees before 2014 to nearly 18 lakh now, attributing the increase to better infrastructure and improved facilities.
The MLA credited Abdul Azeez, Nellore Rural MLA Kotamreddy Sridhar Reddy, and district officials for ensuring smooth arrangements, including better roads, drinking water and sanitation facilities, and effective crowd management.
Abdul Azeez said more amenities would be added at the dargah in the coming months. He assured that shortcomings noticed during this year's festival would be reviewed and rectified. He appreciated police for ensuring that the Gandham Mahotsavam, attended by lakhs of devotees on Saturday night, concluded peacefully.
Police earned praise for their round-the-clock command and control operations, using public address systems and technology to trace missing devotees, and reuniting them with their families. Sanitation workers received appreciation for maintaining cleanliness despite the huge crowds.
On the day, Nellore Rural MLA Kotamreddy Sridhar Reddy participated in the traditional Rottela Panduga rituals at Swarnala Cheruvu with his wife Sujitha and brother Giridhar Reddy. Kotamreddy said he accepted the first roti praying that his brother Giridhar Reddy would become an MLA, the second for Andhra Pradesh's progress under Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan, and minister Nara Lokesh, and the third for transforming the state into a "Swarna Andhra Pradesh" through rapid development and investments.
Calling the dargah a blessing for his constituency, he said attending the festival had become a cherished family tradition and promised further development of the shrine.