Elaborate Arrangements Underway For Maha Shivaratri At Srisailam
Goods vehicles banned on Nallamala ghat road for 20 days
KURNOOL: With the Maha Shivaratri festival approaching, preparations at the Srisailam temple have been intensified in anticipation of a massive influx of devotees. Officials expect around seven lakh devotees to arrive to offer prayers to Goddess Bhramaramba and Lord Mallikarjuna during the three-day festival period. Maha Shivaratri will be celebrated on February 15.
Given the scale of the pilgrimage, elaborate arrangements are being made under the joint supervision of the police and revenue departments. The Nallamala hill ranges are expected to witness heavy footfall, with officials estimating the movement of up to 60,000 vehicles during the festival period, as Srisailam is considered one of the major Shivaratri destinations in South India.
Although the Srisailam temple falls under Nandyal district, it lies close to the Markapuram district border. In view of this, the State government has directed officials of both districts to work in close coordination.
Police, revenue officials and district collectors from Nandyal and Markapuram have already initiated joint planning to ensure smooth crowd management. Authorities are focusing on streamlining queue lines and improving crowd flow to minimise inconvenience to devotees.
As part of crowd and traffic management measures, restrictions will be enforced on the Nallamala ghat road for 20 days, from February 1 to February 20. Loaded goods vehicles will not be permitted to pass through the Nallamala forest stretch during this period.
Goods vehicles travelling from Vijayawada will be diverted via Kurnool and Nandyal. Police and RTA officials have warned that heavy penalties will be imposed on vehicles violating the restrictions by entering the ghat road with loads.
Nandyal district Superintendent of Police Sunil Sheran said foolproof arrangements were being put in place. He stated that a joint action plan with Markapuram district had been finalised and that about 2,500 security personnel would be deployed to ensure the peaceful conduct of the festival and to prevent any untoward incidents.
