Nellore: The popular Rottela Panduga commenced on a grand note at Bara Shaheed dargah here with a large number of devotees from various parts of the state and neighbouring states offering prayers.
People from all faiths participate in this unique festival where people offer rotis in lieu of their fulfilled desires and those who want similar wishes fulfilled pick them up.
The exchange of rotis takes place at Nellore tank, which is also known as 'Swarnala Cheruvu', located close to the dargah.
The rotis are named after the desires of the individuals such as marriage, job, money, children, higher education, prosperity, own house, foreign visit and this time special category status too.
Before offering rotis, the devotees offer prayers at Bara Shaheed dargah to the tombs of 12 martyrs, who sacrificed their lives in a battle against the British troops in 1751, a year which marked the siege of Arcot during a series of Carnatic wars.
As per legend, the 12 warriors were beheaded at a place called Gandavaram, 15 km from Nellore. The headless bodies were brought back by their horses to the dargah area here. The place became popular because they were buried at the spot and a dargah was built thereafter.
The annual event is observed in the month of Muharram as urs of 12 martyrs whose mortal remains are buried in the compound.
In the backdrop of recent bomb blast in the premises of the district court, authorities made elaborate security arrangements and deployed nearly 2,000 police personnel.
Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu is the first CM to participate in the festival on Thursday that dates back to more than three centuries. As part of improving facilities, a ghat similar to one constructed in Krishna river for recent Pushkaralu at Amaravati has been built in Nellore.
