GUNTUR/ ONGOLE: A sea of devotees thronged Sri Trikoteswara Swamy temple in Kotappakonda on Maha Shivaratri, offering prayers and performing rituals from the early hours of Wednesday. Special pujas began at 3 am, filling the temple with Vedic chants and the fragrance of incense.
Officials estimated that over 15 lakh devotees would visit the temple and the two-day fair at the hill’s foothill, making it one of the region’s largest religious gatherings.
To manage the crowd, 3,000 police personnel were deployed, and a special control room was set up to monitor movement and traffic. Guntur Range Deputy Inspector General Sarvasreshtha Tripathi, Collector Arun Babu, and SP Srinivasa Rao inspected security arrangements.
To accommodate the influx of pilgrims, APSRTC operated over 500 special bus services from Narasaraopet, Chilakaluripet, Vinukonda, Guntur, Addanki, and Ongole.
A key highlight of the festival was the arrival of illuminated “Electric Prabhalu” from villages such as Guravaiahpalem, Kakani, Purushottapatnam, and Kavuru, adding grandeur to the celebrations. Temple authorities regulated darshan by setting up dedicated queue lines.
Endowments Minister Anam Ramanarayana Reddy presented silk robes to the deity, while local MLAs, MPs, and senior officials participated in the rituals. Maha Shivaratri celebrations were also held at Sri Amareswara Swamy temple in Amaravati, Sri Bhramarambha Malleswara Swamy temple in Pedakakan, and Sri Trikoteswara Swamy temple at Vadlamudi quarry, drawing large crowds. With religious fervour at its peak, district authorities remained on high alert, ensuring the festival concluded safely and smoothly.
In the Prakasam district, thousands gathered at major temples across the district, including Sri Tripurantakeswara Swamy temple in Tripuranthakam, Sri Bhairaveswara Swamy-Trimukha Durga Devi cave temples in Bhairavakona, and Sri Moksha Ramalingeswara Swamy temple in Ramateertham, to offer prayers and perform rituals.
Rudrabhishekam, Maha Chandi Yagam, Gramotsavams, and Radhotsavams were conducted at several temples. Jammulapalem’s 1,116 Shiva Lingas temple saw a heavy rush of devotees.
Superintendent of Police AR Damodar inspected security arrangements at Sri Tripurantakeswara Swamy temple in Tripuranthakam. Executive Officer D Rajani Kumari, Devasthanam Board Chairman Immadisetty Venkata Subba Rao, and chief priests welcomed him and presented teertham, prasadam, and sesha vastram. Local leaders, including G Erixion Babu, also participated in the rituals.
In Bhairavakona, pilgrims visited the Bhairaveswara Swamy-Trimukha Durga Devi cave temples and offered special poojas.
Youth and children bathed in the waterfalls. Executive Officer Vamsikrishna Reddy and Devasthanam committee leader M Shyam Sundar Raju oversaw the celebrations.
At Mittapalli Narayanaswamy temple and Ramateertham’s Sri Moksha Ramalingeswara Swamy temple, devotees formed long queues from early hours for darshan.
