Vijayawada: Nagula Chavithi was celebrated on a grand note across NTR and Krishna districts on Saturday. The festival, observed on the fourth day after Deepavali, is dedicated to serpent deities, and devotees observed traditional rituals with devotion and enthusiasm.

On this auspicious occasion, several Sri Subrahmanyeswara Swamy temples across the erstwhile Krishna district were beautifully decorated. Devotees thronged the temples and offered milk, eggs, turmeric, and kumkuma to serpent idols.

In many villages, people also offered toddy palm sprouts (also known as palmyra sprouts) along with sesame laddus as part of their prayers. The famous Sri Subrahmanyeswara Swamy temples at Mopidevi and Chodavaram in Penamaluru mandal of Krishna district, and the Sri Valli Devasena Sametha Sri Subrahmanyeswara Swamy temple at Singarayapalem in Mudinepalli mandal of Eluru district, witnessed a heavy turnout of devotees. The Sri Subrahmanyeswara Swamy temple, located at the Sri Durga Malleswarra Swamy Varla Devasthanam atop Indrakeeladri in Vijayawada, witnessed large crowds gathering to perform special poojas and offer prayers for family welfare and prosperity. Devotees flocked to the temple in the early hours to participate in these special rituals.

In addition to these major temples, local serpent temples, including Sri Kasi Visweswara Swamy Devasthanam and China Kanchi at Nunna, were beautifully illuminated and decorated for the occasion. Several temples and residential areas across Vijayawada and rural parts of both districts wore a festive look. Devotees, especially women, observed fasting and paid their vows with faith, praying for the well-being of their families. The entire region was filled with a devotional atmosphere as chants and traditional rituals marked the celebration of Nagula Chavithi.