KURNOOL: As the annual Brahmotsavams of Sri Lakshmi Narasimha-swami at Singotham, known as second Yadadri in Telangana, would begin on Wednesday, thousands of pilgrims on the opposite bank of River Krishna in Kurnool district have set sail to have darshan of the Lord and be blessed.
This is a ritualistic journey from time immemorial, recollects a villager. It is just an hour’s travel to reach the other bank from Nandikotkur in Kurnool district. The devotees prefer travelling in boats to that on road as it is circuitous and they have to travel nearly 200 km.
The travel on water is quite a dangerous one when compared to the one on road but the devotees abutting the river in Nandikotkur taluk of Kurnool district prefer it. The devotees from various villages in Nandikotkur taluk travel in boats made out of bamboo in the form of a basket (Teppa).
Singotham is just 9 km from Kollapur in Wanaparthy district. Kollapur is represented by Jupally Krishna Rao, minister for panchayat raj and rural development. Five years ago, 61 people met a watery grave as the boat in which they were going capsized in Krishna river in Kurnool district.
They were on way to attend the Singotham Jatara on the other side of the River Krishna, falling in Mahabubnagar. Even this year, the same scene repeats with hundreds of pilgrims taking to the ferry route to attend Singotham Jatara. Though police appear to be guarding the Krishna waters with a motor boat, the threat of drowning in waters remains.
The official apathy, government’s inept handling of the situation, people’s determination to cross the river despite odds are all contributing to the risk factor. It is appalling to know that the construction works relating to the Siddeswaram bridge over River Krishna in the border district of Mahabubnagar has remained on paper.
There has been no sign of any work taken up any in the district even after five years of the boast capsize near Nehru Nagar in Kurnool district. The then CM, Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, promised the people of the region that a bridge would be constructed and he even performed a bhoomi puja in 2008. This year, the Singotham jatara starts on January 18 and ends on Jan. 20. People are queuing up to go to Jatara through boats on River Krishna.
The construction of the bridge has been delayed due to Telangana agitation, even though '50 crore was released in the first phase for the same.
