Srikalahasti temple reverberates with chants of 'Om Namah Sivaya'

Tirupati: Maha Sivaratri celebrated with pomp and religious fervour at the famous Srikalahasti temple on Saturday. Devotees in large numbers thronged the temple from early hours with the queue lines being jam-packed making it a tough task for the temple authorities to manage. An estimated two lakh devotees were said to have worshiped Lord Srikalahasteeswara and his consort Goddess Gnana Prasunamba till evening.

Apart from one free line for common devotees, three more lines were arranged for Rs 50, Rs 200 and Rs 500 ticket holders. However, all categories of devotees were allowed to have Maha laghu Darshan only and no 'Antaralaya Darshan' was provided to anyone. MLA Biyyapu Madhusudan Reddy, Temple Trust Board Chairman Anjuru Taraka Srinivasulu and EO KV Sagar Babu were present in the temple throughout the day and monitored the movement of queue lines to ensure hassle-free darshan for the devotees.

The temple management has cancelled all Arjitha sevas including Rahu Ketu pujas for the day to facilitate more devotees to have darshan in quick time. Extensive arrangements were made to provide water to the devotees in queue lines and to maintain sanitation in the temple premises. Several dignitaries including Collector K Venkataramana Reddy offered prayers in the temple.

The decorations with beautiful flowers and fruits imported from several places gave a visual treat for the devotees and provided a soothing ambience. Tonnes of flowers were used for the decoration. District police have provided foolproof security for the safety of devotees. About 1,200 police personnel were pressed into service and constant monitoring was done through the CC cameras and special police command control room. By setting up police check posts, the vehicles entering the town were thoroughly checked. Special arrangements were made for vehicles parking too. Meanwhile arrangements are afoot for the prominent 'Lingodbhava darshan' after mid-night of Saturday during which special abhishekams will also be performed to the presiding deity.