Saluru Gears Up for Shyamalamba Festival After 15-Year Hiatus
District gears up for 10 lakh devotees with security, power, health and transport plans.
Visakhapatnam: After a 15-year gap, the Shyamalamba deity festival is set to return to Saluru from May 18-20, with district officials making extensive preparations to accommodate an expected 10 lakh pilgrims during the three-day celebration.
Women and child welfare and tribal welfare minister Gummidi Sandhya Rani conducted a review meeting on Monday with officials at the Saluru municipal office, emphasising the festival’s importance and directing that all arrangements be completed with the highest priority. The meeting was attended by district collector S.S. Shobika and Saluru municipal chairperson Puvvala Eswaramma.
“This festival is traditionally celebrated every nine years but has been neglected due to various reasons. Now that it’s returning after 15 years, there should be absolutely no deficiencies in the arrangements,” Sandhya Rani said in the meeting. She expressed disappointment regarding delays in drinking water works, noting that funds had been released on March 27, 2025, but implementation had not yet begun.
District administration has mobilised multiple departments to ensure the smooth functioning of the event. The electricity department (EPDCL) has already installed 12 transformers and is erecting about 95 new poles to guarantee an uninterrupted power supply throughout the festival.
For security and crowd management, police officials have recommended installing 150 CCTV cameras, which will also serve for permanent monitoring, and setting up LED screens at key locations to help control crowd movement. A dedicated control room will be established to monitor the situation in real-time.
Health officials plan to operate 14 medical camps across the town with three 108 ambulances on standby for emergencies. Approximately 200 sanitary workers will be deployed to maintain cleanliness, while drinking water supply work is scheduled to commence by Tuesday.
The administration has identified routes for the Siri Manu Utsav, a significant ritual of the festival, and designated five parking areas for visitors entering the town from six different directions. The regional transport corporation is arranging additional buses to facilitate transportation for the influx of devotees.
