Kadiri Narasimha Swamy Brahma Rathotsavam Draws Lakhs Of Devotees

ANANTAPUR: More than two lakh devotees from southern parts of the country gathered for the Brahma Rathotsavam of Kadiri Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy at Kadiri in Sri Sathya Sai district on Tuesday, considered one of the largest chariot festivals in the country.

Temple priests performed special poojas to Lord Narasimha Swamy at the main temple before taking out the idols in a procession to the traditionally decorated chariot. Long ropes, nearly 400 metres in length, were tied to the chariot for devotees to pull it through the mada streets. Experts from Kutagulla and nearby villages, who have been offering seva for more than four decades, supervised the movement of the chariot.

During the procession, devotees followed the local tradition of offering pepper to the deity. Nearly 700 police personnel were deployed for the event, and traffic from Pulivendula, Anantapur and Hindupur was diverted at the outskirts of Kadiri due to the heavy rush of devotees. Kadiri MLA Kandikunta Prasad oversaw the arrangements.

However, five devotees suffered serious injuries when they fell under the chariot while attempting to pull it from a close distance. One devotee is said to be in critical condition. One person suffered fractures in both legs, while three others also sustained fractures.

Police and organisers immediately stopped the chariot for more than an hour to rescue the devotees trapped beneath the wheels and shifted them to a hospital for treatment.

Meanwhile, tension prevailed briefly when BJP leader Vishnuvardhan Reddy reportedly attempted to climb onto the chariot during the procession. Police prevented him and placed him under house arrest to avoid any untoward incident.

Kadiri MLA Kandikunta Prasad said that even as an MLA he had never attempted to climb onto the chariot and participated only as a devotee in pulling it. He added that only designated persons responsible for guiding the chariot were allowed on it.