RAJAMAHENDRAVARAM: From Chinturu in Polavaram to Katrenikona in Konaseema, and from Sankhavaram in Kakinada to Undi in West Godavari, the entire region echoed with cockfight cries, while lodges across the Godavari districts were filled with gamblers.
The Godavari region is witnessing an intense buildup ahead of Sankranti marked by a surge in festive tourism and large-scale preparations for cockfighting across rural pockets.
While towns are running out of hotel rooms due to heavy inflow of visitors, villages in the undivided Godavari belt are seeing covert arrangements for cockfighting arenas, despite court bans and police warnings.
This year tourists from other states and urban centres, along with natives working outside the districts, have begun arriving in large numbers. From star hotels to small lodges, rooms are almost fully booked between 13 to 17.
Online bookings have surged and enquiries are being turned away due to a lack of availability. Room tariffs have doubled, with premium hotels charging far above regular rates.
Private hospitality options such as luxury flats and villas are also in high demand, while rental cars are scarce due to advance bookings. Parallel to the festive rush, preparations for cockfighting are intensifying in several villages, allegedly with political patronage.
Despite explicit court directions to prevent cockfights and gambling organisers are setting up large arenas, known locally as barulu. In major arenas, bets reportedly range from Rs 10 lakh to one crore per bout, while medium and smaller pits see wagers from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 5 lakh.
Each arena is expected to host 50 bouts daily, many concluding within minutes. Preparations are underway in areas such as Nidadavole, Kovvvur, Rajanagaram and Undrajavara and others areas.
East Godavari SP D Narasimha Kishore and West Godavari district SP Adnan Nayeem Asmi said preventive measures have been intensified. Special teams have been formed anddrone surveillance is being deployed. In East Godavari nearly 800 individuals have been bound over in recent days.