Srikakulam Decks Up For Six-day Arasavalli Ratha Saptami Festivities From Today
Endowments commissioner Ramachandra Mohan is personally overseeing the arrangements to ensure that the festivities run smoothly
Visakhapatnam: Spirituality and culture will dominate the scene in Srikakulam district from Monday with the administration fully geared to hold the Ratha Saptami at Arasavalli from Monday, January 19, to January 24. These six-day festivities marking the birth of Sun God are a matter of great prestige for the district, blending devotion with entertainment, sports, adventure activities, and cultural performances.
Endowments commissioner Ramachandra Mohan is personally overseeing the arrangements to ensure that the festivities run smoothly. Overseeing the preparations along with DSP Vivekananda on Sunday, Ramachandra Mohan highlighted the importance of prioritising darshan quickly for regular devotees. To minimise the waiting times, four separate queues have been established in front of the main temple. He directed officials across departments to coordinate and prevent any shortcomings during the festival.
Special care is being taken to ensure that VIP arrivals do not disrupt the flow of devotees. Special provision has been made for food donors and other donor pass holders. Additional sanitation and drinking water facilities are being created, apart from creating shades overhead.
Tickets of ₹100 and ₹300 will be available online starting tomorrow with the darshan time printed to avoid any inconvenience. Bookings for Ksheeraabhishekam will open on January 24.
Approximately 100 staff of the Endowments department and 500 volunteers will assist in crowd management.
A special feature will be helicopter rides from January 19 to January 21. Sports competitions will be at the NTR Municipal High School grounds. Each evening, K.R. Stadium will host a food exhibition. There will be a play area for kids and an amusement park.
On January 22, a mega Surya Namaskar programme is scheduled at 7:00 a.m., followed by a cultural extravaganza at the stadium featuring performances by orchestras, bands, mimicry artists, and singer Goreti Venkanna. The evening will conclude with a performance by Jabardasth comedy team and a fireworks display.
On January 23, a grand procession will depart from the Day and Night Junction for Arasavalli, followed by performances by various artists and a laser show.
The closing ceremony on January 24 will feature a live concert by music director Thaman. Celebrity anchors Saikumar and Chandrika will host the event while actor Aadi will be present. The festivities will culminate in a dazzling drone show.
At midnight, devotees will be able to see the true form of Suryanarayana Swamy.
