RAJANNA-SIRCILLA : The historic Sri Raja Rajeshwara Swamy Temple in Vemulawada, revered as ‘Dakshina Kashi’, is adorned in grandeur as it prepares to host the annual Maha Shivaratri jatara from Tuesday. Temple authorities anticipate that over 3 lakh devotees will participate in the three-day event.
The state government has constituted a Maha Shivaratri festival committee to oversee preparations. Government Whip Adi Srinivas and temple executive officer K Vinod Reddy inspected arrangements on Monday. Key infrastructural measures include route maps installed at the temple entrance to guide pilgrims, temporary shade pandals to shield devotees from the sun and container-based free toilets for sanitation.
Showers have been arranged for holy baths, while free meal centres, tiffin counters and dedicated baby feeding zones within the temple premises aim to cater to the needs of all visitors.
District Collector Sandeep Kumar Jha and SP Akhil Mahajan are closely monitoring security and logistical arrangements, deploying personnel to manage the expected crowds.
On festival day, February 26, special darshan slots have been allocated for locals and VIPs, with a dedicated window between 4 pm and 5 pm for deeksha devotees.
Health and sanitation workers from neighbouring gram panchayats have been deployed to maintain cleanliness throughout the event. The spiritual highlight, the Lingodbha Pooja, will be performed at midnight on February 26, marking the celestial union of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati.