5 lakh to take part in Maha Sivaratri celebrations

Kakinada: More than five lakh devotees are expected to take holy dip in Godavari river and take darshan at Pancharama Kshetras and other temples in Godavari region on Saturday, on the occasion of Maha Sivaratri. All Pancharama Kshetras besides Sri Bhadrakali Sametha Veereswara Swamy temple at Pattisam are decorated in a grand manner. Endowments department officials made elaborate arrangements to provide easy darshan of Lord Shiva to devotees.

All the temples including Pancharama Kshetras are decorated and facilitated with all amenities. Special queue lines were arranged. Already devotees started reaching temples are located in Pancharama Kshetras like Draksharama and Somolkot in the district. Sri Bheemeswara Swamy temple, Draksharamam, Executive Officer PTV Satyanarayana told The Hans India that during Brahma Muhurtham, abhishekams will be performed with water collected from seven rivers including cow milk. He said that they are expecting one lakh devotees to visit the temple and made arrangements for the convenience of devotees.

Speaking with The Hans India, Sri Kukkuteswara Swamy temple, Pithapuram, Executive Officer R Sowjanya said that more than 25,000 devotees will offer prayers and abhishekams on Sivaratri.

Kumara Rama Bhimeswara Swamy temple authorities said that special sanitation staff were deployed to clean temple tank in the temple premises.

Endowments Deputy Commissioner M Vijaya Raju directed the officials to make necessary arrangements in Lord Siva temples for

the smooth conduct of Maha Sivaratri festivities. He said that devotees will be allowed to have darshan of Sri Veereswara Swamy at Pattisam of Eluru district from 4 am to 11 pm and again from 11.30 pm to 12.30 pm.

During Lingodbhava period, devotees will be allowed through queue lines to see abhishekam to Swamy. Milk and buttermilk will be provided to children and 50 additional staff will be allocated for conducting the festival.

He informed separate queue lines will be arranged so as not to cause inconvenience for common devotees, in view of VIPs' visit.

The RTC will run special buses for Pancharama kshetras in the region. Heavy bandobast has been arranged and police personnel in large numbers was deployed at all the temples in the region.