GUNTUR: The endowments department officials are making arrangements for devotees at Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy temple at Mangalagiri on the occasion of Mukkoti Ekadasi on January 6. Every year, the department performs special pujas during that time at the temple and pilgrims arrive in droves to have darshan of the presiding deity Lord Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy from Uttara Simhadwaram from 4 am. Narasimha Swamy is one of the oldest Vaishnavite temples in South India.
An 11-storied Gali gopuram (temple tower) is the main attraction for pilgrims as well as tourists. On Ekadasi , temple priests offer teertham (holy water) through the golden dakshinavarti shankh (conch shell) to the devotees in addition to prasadam.
The devotees offer jaggery to the deity. There is another temple at the bottom of the hill dedicated to the same deity. It was built by Raja Vasireddy Venkatadri Naidu between 1807 to 1809. The temple is situated 19 km away from Guntur and 12 km away from Vijayawada at Mangalagiri on NH-5. Mangalagiri YSRC MLA Alla Ramakrishna Reddy visited the temple and inquired about the arrangements. He directed the officials concerned to complete the arrangements before January 5.