VIJAYAWADA: Thousands of devotees thronged Lord Shiva temples across Vijayawada on Sunday to offer prayers on Maha Shivaratri, prompting authorities to implement extensive security, traffic and crowd-management measures to ensure peaceful celebrations.
From the early hours of the day, devotees lined up at major shrines, marking one of the largest congregations of the festival in recent years.
Maha Shivaratri signifies the divine marriage of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati, and the sacred occasion traditionally draws large numbers of worshippers. Special pujas, abhishekams and night-long rituals were conducted at temples, with elaborate arrangements to ensure smooth darshan.
Anticipating the devotee rush, authorities of Sri Durga Malleswara Swamyvarla Devasthanam atop Indrakeeladri have introduced special queues and crowd-management measures to prevent overcrowding. Devotees visiting the Lord Malleswara Swamy shrine on the hill were guided through barricaded pathways, while public announcements were made to assist pilgrims.
Elaborate festive arrangements were made at the Sri Ramalingeswara Swamy temple in Yanamalakuduru where devotees turned up in large numbers to participate in special rituals and night-long prayers.
In view of the heavy footfall, police across NTR and Krishna districts implemented comprehensive security arrangements following instructions from senior officials. Additional police personnel were deployed at all major Shiva temples and Shaivite shrines to maintain law and order and ensure peaceful celebrations.
Dedicated police control rooms were established at key temples, with personnel stationed round the clock to provide immediate assistance in case of emergencies.
Special parking zones were earmarked for devotees’ vehicles, and police staff were deployed to ensure orderly parking. Traffic police implemented route diversions, continuous patrolling and traffic regulation to prevent congestion across the city.
Vijayawada Police Commissioner (CP) SV Rajasekhara Babu, accompanied by Krishna district SP Vasana Vidyasagar Naidu, visited the Yanamalakuduru Shiva temple and surrounding areas. The commissioner offered special prayers with his family and later reviewed the bandobast arrangements and issued instructions to personnel on duty. Traffic DCP Shirin Begum and other senior officers were also present during the inspection.
Temple Executive Officer (EO) VK Seena Naik inspected Maha Shivaratri-related arrangements. He reviewed facilities at Durga Ghat on the Krishna river, ensuring that devotees could take holy dips. Temple trust board chairman Borra Radhakrishna supervised queue management and amenities, including drinking water and essential facilities for the thousands of pilgrims.
Special Surya Upasana rituals were performed with Vedic chants for universal welfare and devotees’ well-being, drawing participation from ticket-holding worshippers.