VISAKHAPATNAM: The annual Chandanotsavam festival was observed with traditional fervour at the Sri Varaha Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy temple in Simhachalam on Wednesday. Celebrated on the occasion of Akshaya Tritiya, Chandanotsavam is the only day in the year when devotees are allowed to have the Nijaroopa Darshanam of the deity, as the thick layer of sandalwood paste covering the idol is ceremoniously removed.
Despite intermittent rainfall, thousands of devotees from Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Odisha, and neighbouring states gathered to witness the Nijaroopa Darshanam, where the deity was presented without the customary layer of sandalwood paste.
As per temple tradition, hereditary trustee P Ashok Gajapathi Raju, along with his family, participated in the early morning rituals and offered silk vastrams to the deity. Temple Executive Officer K Subbarao received the trustee's family and extended temple honours. Revenue Minister Anagani Satya Prasad, along with priests from the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), also presented silk robes and offered prayers on behalf of the State government.
The first darshan was given to the hereditary trustee's family at around 3.30 am, after which general devotees were allowed into the queue lines. Earlier, rituals including Suprabhatam Seva, Viswaksena Puja, Punyavachanam, Ritwikvaranam, Panchakalavahanam, and Chananottaram were conducted from 1 am onwards.
Due to the collapse of a wall in the Rs 300 queue line, authorities redirected Rs 300 ticket holders into the Rs 1,000 queue to manage the situation, resulting in temporary congestion. Rescue operations were undertaken promptly, and the situation was stabilised by noon. Transport arrangements were made by operating free RTC buses from Gosala Junction and Adavivaram side. Drinking water and first-aid facilities were arranged to assist the devotees.
District Collector MN Harendhira Prasad personally oversaw crowd management throughout the day, coordinating efforts to ensure smooth movement of queues and minimise inconvenience. As part of the Chandanotsavam, TNIE team distributed special festival editions of the newspaper along with buttermilk and biscuit packets to devotees. The initiative was supported by BVK Junior College (Visalakshinagar), Charan Group (Akkayyapalem), Saraswathi School (Gajuwaka), and Sai Saraswathi Coaching Centre (Vizianagaram).
Several dignitaries, including Home Minister Vangalapudi Anitha, In-charge Minister Dolla Veeranjaneyaswamy, Deputy Speaker Raghurama Krishna Raju, Government Whip Ganababu, MPs, and MLAs, visited the temple during the early hours to participate in the event