Heavy Rush At Srisailam As Karthika Masam Draws To A Close
Large numbers of devotees visited the Sri Mallikarjuna Swamy and Goddess Bhramaramba Devi temples, while many also took a holy dip at Pathalaganga before proceeding for darshanam: Reports
KURNOOL: A heavy rush of devotees was witnessed in Srisailam on Sunday as the sacred Karthika Masam neared its end. With the last Monday of the auspicious month falling the next day, thousands of pilgrims reached the temple town in advance, staying overnight to offer special prayers. From the early hours, long queues of vehicles lined both sides of the ghat road, causing traffic congestion and prompting temple authorities to regulate vehicle movement throughout the day.
Large numbers of devotees visited the Sri Mallikarjuna Swamy and Goddess Bhramaramba Devi temples, while many also took a holy dip at Pathalaganga before proceeding for darshanam. The spiritual ambience remained vibrant as families gathered to observe one of the most significant days of the month.
Temple executive officer M. Srinivasa Rao said the administration had made extensive arrangements in anticipation of the massive turnout. The temple doors were opened at 3 a.m., followed by morning rituals. Darshanam was allowed from 4:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., and again from 5.30 p.m. to 10.30 p.m. To manage the crowd, Sparsha Darshanam and Arjitha Abhishekams were suspended on key days such as Karthika Saturdays, Sundays, Mondays, Ekadashi and Pournami.
Additional staff and vigilance teams were deployed at queue lines, galleries and key temple points. Devotees in the queue complexes were provided breakfast, hot milk and drinking water. Arrangements for the Karthika Deepotsavam were also completed at North Mada Street and Gangadhara Mandapam.
Special rituals and abhishekams were performed at the five ancient mutts Ghantamatham, Bhimashankara, Vibhuti, Rudraksha and Sarangadhara.