Common devotees given top priority for Chandanotsavam

Visakhapatnam: District In-charge Minister Dola Sree Bala Veeranjaneya Swamy directed the officials to organise the upcoming ‘Chandanotsavam’ festival of Sri Varaha Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy at Simhachalam by prioritising the convenience and needs of common devotees.

During a review meeting held here on Tuesday, the Minister emphasised seamless coordination among departments and instructed the officials to complete necessary arrangements by April 17 for the annual festival scheduled on April 20.

The minister sought suggestions from MLAs PGVR Naidu (Ganababu), Velagapudi Ramakrishna Babu, P Vishnu Kumar Raju along with district collector MN Harendhira Prasad, Police Commissioner Shankhabrata Bagchi, Devasthanam Executive Officer J Venkata Rao, and other senior officials for improved arrangements.

The minister appealed to the officials to remain vigilant to avoid any lapses, particularly in ticket issuance and other arrangements. He instructed the officials and public representatives to pay field-level inspections to review preparedness. He also stressed the need for strict caution in issuing vehicle and duty passes to prevent misuse or confusion.

Briefing the arrangements, district collector MN Harendhira Prasad stated that comprehensive arrangements are in place to ensure smooth conduct of the festival, incorporating precautionary measures based on past experiences.

He announced that the first Darshan on the day of Chandanotsavam will commence at 3 am for the Founder Trustee of the Devasthanam, followed by the presentation of silken robes (pattu vastralu) on behalf of the State government between 3:30 am and 4 am.

The first slot of VIP darshan will begin between 4:15 am and 4:30 am, while general devotees will be allowed for darshan from 4 am onwards. Devotees holding Rs 1,500 tickets will have an opportunity to view the presiding deity from the Bhoga Mandapam. The district collector made it clear that there will not be any ‘Antaralaya Darshan’ this year.

The collector said that all devotees who enter the queue lines before 7 pm on the day of the festival will be allowed for darshan, irrespective of the time it takes. Separate queue lines would be arranged for free ticket holders as well as those holding Rs 300, Rs 1,000, and Rs 1,500 tickets to ensure smooth movement and avoid inconvenience. Further, the collector informed that tickets will be printed with barcodes and holograms to prevent duplication and ensure transparency.

To facilitate transportation, RTC buses will be arranged for devotees, including 50 buses allocated for general pilgrims and 30 special mini-buses for higher-value tickets. Authorities are also setting up drinking water points, toilet facilities, medical camps and deploying ambulances at key locations to handle emergencies.

The MLAs stressed the importance of maintaining transparency and accountability in the ticketing process and urged the officials to clearly announce online ticket release schedules and physical ticket counters well in advance. They emphasised the need for accurate QR codes and time slots, prevention of duplicate tickets and availability of adequate scanning machines. They also recommended that the entire ticketing process should be monitored by the direct supervision of the district collector and the Temple Executive Officer.

Police Commissioner Shankhabrata Bagchi briefed key suggestions regarding security arrangements to ensure safe conduct of the festival. Joint collector Gobbilla Vidyadhari, DCPs Mary Prashanthi and Manikanta Chandolu, and Visakhapatnam RDO Sudha Sagar, were present.