VISAKHAPATNAM: The annual Chandanotsavam of Lord Narasimha Swamy, observed in the month of ‘Vaisakha’ on ‘Akshaya Tritiya’, was celebrated with devotion and piety at Sri Varaha Lakshmi Nrusimha Swamy Vari Devasthanam in Simhachalam here Tuesday.
Thousands of devotees thronged the temple and waited in long queue lines since Monday evening to have the ‘nijarupa darshan’ of the presiding deity.
After removing the sandalwood paste, temple hereditary trustee P Ananda Gajapathiraju was first allowed to have darshan of the Lord at 2 pm.
Ananda Gajapathi Raju offered silk clothes according to the tradition and started the festival.
As a protocol by the state government, endowments minister P Manikyala Rao, too, offered silk clothes to the deity followed by TTD executive officer Samba Siva Rao. For the first time ever, devotees were allowed to have darshan of the Lord on the auspicious occasion of ‘Chanadothsavam’ from 2.30 am itself Tuesday.
People from across the state and the neighbouring state of Odisha, started making beelines at the devasthanam since Monday evening to have a glimpse of the original avatar of the Lord.
Special prayers were performed to the deity on the occasion including ‘Suprabhata Seva’, till the evening, followed by ‘Sahasra Ghatabhishekam’ during which priests brought holy water ‘Ganga Dhara’ from the water body located downhill and performed abhishekam to Lord Narasimha Swamy.
State ministers Ganta Srinivasa Rao, Ch Ayyana Patrudu and M Srinivasa Rao, and district collector N Yuvaraj had darshan of the deity early in the morning.