VISAKHAPATNAM: Chanting of ‘Govinda - Govinda’ by thousands of devotees at the flagging point of the trekking path (toli paavancha) in the foothills of the Simhachalam, late on Thursday afternoon, marked the beginning of the annual Giri Pradakshina Mahotsavam.
HRD Minister Ganta Srinivasa Rao, along with Sri Varaha Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy temple (SVLNSD) executive officer (EO) K Ramachandra Mohan and other officials flagged off the ‘Swamyvaari Pushpa Ratham’ (flower chariot of the Lord) to mark the beginning of the auspicious Pradakshina. Thousands of pilgrims followed the Lord’s chariot to complete their devotional walk.
This year the temple authorities are expecting around 10 lakh pilgrims to participate in the 32-km trekking. The temple authorities, with the support and coordination of the GVMC, Police, VUDA, Fire and Disaster Management, Medical & Health and Revenue department staff, have made all necessary arrangements for the smooth conduct of the pradakshina. CCTV cameras were set up all through the route to maintain proper surveillance, law and order and provide security to the devotees.
Around 2,000 additional police personnel were deployed at all key places along the walking path. Mobile toilets, dumper bin vans and paper glasses for water were provided by the GVMC and around 700 sanitation staff were deployed in and around the hill shrine to keep the area clean round the clock.
Around 10 lakh water packets, along with sufficient quantity of laddu prasadam were made available at the Devasthanam counters. Authorities set up 27 resting places en route and made available expert swimmers at the Appu Ghar beach as the devotees take a holy dip in the sea.
Over 200 youth, NGOs and student organisations made extensive arrangements to provide required water, tea/coffee, buttermilk, refreshments as ‘prasadam’ and snacks to the pilgrims. Members of the Satya Seva organisation, besides providing food, were seen massaging the aching feet of the devotees. They have also made some resting/sitting arrangements for the devotees.
The RTC Vizag region pressed into service more than 100 Giri Pradakshina special buses from various places of the City to Simhachalam. The first batch of pilgrims, who completed their Pradakshina entered the hill shrine premises at around 10.30 pm on Thursday and had darshan of Lord Appanna. A large number of devotees in groups have been proceeding peacefully towards the Simhachalam hill shrine, when this reporter left the site.
As per the earlier announced scheduled, police strictly implemented the traffic restrictions. Many people who arrived here by two/ four-wheelers suffered a lot to find a parking place for their vehicles. As the earmarked parking places were kilometers away from the Pradakshina starting point, all of them had to go on foot. As a result women, elderly persons and children suffered a lot. “We know about the situation and won’t mind all these small inconveniences. We came here to participate in the holy ‘Giri Pradakshina’ and it is the one and only point in our mind now,” said Chemudupati Venkata Raja Subrahmanayam and Subbalakshmi, the couple that came from Rajamahendravaram. Both the retired teachers expressed their satisfaction on the arrangements made and felt very happy on the way they were treated by the Vizagites.
From HB Colony to Akkayyapalem-Madhavadhara road, pilgrims who started a bit late, suffered due to the absence of street lights in a stretch of nearly one kilometer. Most of them used their mobile phone torch lights to find their way. “All arrangements are very good. But this is very problematic here to walk in darkness and at some places the road is also uneven. Devasthanam authorities must focus on this type of problems,” complained N Guru Prasad and his team of 30 members, who had come from Bestavaripeta town in Prakasam district.
Devasthanam authorities will close the sarva darsanam on Friday at 1 pm for the full lunar eclipse. The temple will reopen at around 7 am on Saturday after the completion of traditional suddhi/ samprokshana rituals.