All set for Ugadi coordination meet with K’taka and Maha padayatra groups

Srisailam: In view of the upcoming Ugadi Brahmotsavams at Srisailam Devasthanam, scheduled from March 16, the temple administration held a second-phase coordination meeting on Sunday with padayatra devotees and voluntary organisations from Karnataka and Maharashtra.

The meeting, conducted at the Devasthanam administrative complex, focused on ensuring smooth arrangements for the expected heavy influx of devotees during the festival period.

Ugadi, the main festival day, will be observed on March 19. Representatives of about 63 padayatra groups, bhajana mandalis, and voluntary service organisations from Bagalkot, Belagavi, Vijayapura, Kolhapur, Solapur, and Akkalkot attended the meeting.

Officials recalled that the first coordination meeting was held on February 25 at Teradal in Bagalkot district, Karnataka, where preliminary discussions were held with devotee groups regarding pilgrim movement and festival coordination.

The second meeting reviewed follow-up measures and logistics in greater detail.

Addressing the occassion, Dharmakartha Mandali Chairman Pothugunta Ramesh Naidu and Executive Officer M Srinivasa Rao expressed gratitude to the Karnataka and Maharashtra devotee groups for their cooperation in earlier religious programmes.

They announced that from March 6 to 15, devotees would be allowed only Alankara Darshanam, while Sparsha Darshanam would be available during the main festival days.

Sparsha Darshanam tickets during the pre-festival period will be issued in four time slots daily at a fee of Rs.500, with limited tickets available through both current booking and online platforms.

The temple administration outlined comprehensive arrangements, including cooling pandals in open areas, continuous drinking water supply, distribution of refreshments in queue lines with the help of volunteers, and the establishment of medical camps at key locations.

Services at the Devasthanam hospital and the government primary health centre will function round the clock.

Devotees were urged to maintain cleanliness by using designated toilet facilities, as open defecation has been prohibited under the Swachh Srisailam initiative.

Voluntary service personnel will be deployed across temple and pilgrim areas, with service locations allotted through a transparent lottery system.