Visakhapatnam: Lakhs of devotees drawn from various parts of north Andhra and neighbouring Odisha and Chhattisgarh thronged the hill shrine of Lord Varaha Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy at Simhachalam to have the darshan of actual form (Nijarupa) of the presiding deity.
Civil aviation minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju who is the hereditary trustee of the temple along with his wife offered silk robes to the deity and also first prayers.
Ministers Ganta Srinivas Rao, P Manikyala Rao, Kamineni Srinivas Rao and others had offered special prayers at the Simhachalam temple.
Every year on Thadiya day of Vaisakha month the presiding deity gives darshan in actual form and on the normal days the deity is covered with sandalwood paste. The sandalwood paste will be peeled in the early hours and then special pujas and abhishekams.
After the special pujas performed on Monday early hours family members of temple hereditary trustee P. Ashok Gajapathi Raju had first darshan of the deity followed by other devotees.
TTD executive officer D. Sambasiva Rao along with his wife offered silk robes on behalf of Tirumala temple. Though the arrangements for devotees were better than last year due to the regulation of VIP darshans, devotees in the general and Rs 200, Rs 500 queue had tough time.
Devotees were seen lined up till the bus stand and also the parking place far away from the temple complex. As the temple authorities failed to provide shelter women, elderly and kids suffered due to blistering sun.
