KURNOOL: In a gesture to honour indigenous faith and tradition, the authorities of the Srisaila Devasthanam organised a special free Sparsha Darshan for Chenchu tribals at the Sri Bhramaramba Mallikarjuna Swamy Temple on Wednesday.
The initiative brought immense joy to the Chenchu community, which shares an ancient spiritual bond with the shrine.
Chenchu men and women arrived in traditional attire, playing tappeta drums and performing vibrant folk dances before proceeding for the darshan. They revere Lord Mallikarjuna Swamy as their presiding deity, affectionately calling Him “Chenchu Mallanna,” and regard Goddess Bhramarambha Devi as their daughter.
Devotees from Mekkala Banda, Hatakeswaram, Sunnipenta, and tribal hamlets in Palnadu district — including Veldurthi, Hanumapuram Thanda, Bodhanampadu, and Terala — participated in the programme.
The Devasthanam has decided to offer free Sparsha Darshan to Chenchu tribals on the last Wednesday of every month. The initiative was launched on Vaikunta Ekadasi in December last year.
Free accommodation, breakfast, meals, and Annaprasadam were arranged for the visiting devotees.
Srisaila Devasthanam Executive Officer M. Srinivasa Rao supervised the arrangements and stated that the temple remains committed to ensuring smooth darshan for all devotees, while giving special priority to preserving the spiritual heritage of the Chenchu community