Thousands throng temples

Ongole: The temples in the erstwhile Prakasam district, especially noted Sivalayams, witnessed a heavy rush on Maha Sivaratri as thousands of devotees offered puja on Sunday. The temples at Bhairavakona, Podili, Tripurantakam, Ongole, and other places were crowded with people seeking the god's blessings.

Since early morning, devotees and pilgrims have been reaching the Siva temples, trying to catch a glimpse of the lord. Ongole MLA Damacharla Janardhana Rao and his family visited the Sivalayam at the Saibaba Temple at Santhapet in Ongole, and participated in Abhishekam, Homam and special puja at Rudraksha Sivalingam. Ongole MP Magunta Srinivasulu Reddy participated in pujas at the Srikasivisveswara Swamy temple in Ongole, the Nirmamaheswara Swamy temple in Podili, the Balarka Koteswari Sahita Balakoteswara Swamy temple in Nandanamarella, and in special pujas at Bhairavakona, along with local leaders. AP Maritime Board chairman Damacharla Sathya, along with his wife, participated in a special puja at Sangameswara Swamy temple in Chennipadu village of Ponnaluru mandal.

The noted and age-old Siva temples, including the Nirmamaheswara Swamy temple at Podili, the Veerabhadra Swamy temple at Chinna Cumbam, and the Shiva temple at Kanaka Surabheswara Kona at Akkapalle in Racharla mandal, witnessed a huge rush of devotees. After the forest department issued permission, hundreds of devotees began trekking into Nallamala forest to reach the Gundla Brahmeswaram temple, while those who could not walk on the rocky terrain reached by vehicle. Most of them are returned to Diguvametta by the evening, but only a few want to spend the night in the forest and stay back. The temples in Tripuranthakam, Ramateertham, Sangameswaram, and other prominent pilgrim places in the district received thousands of devotees since morning, and all temples echoed with Harahara Mahadeva and Sambho Sankara. The temple executive officers, trust board members, and philanthropic people offered food, water, and buttermilk to the devotees. The APSRTC Ongole depot ran special buses to Kotappakonda and Srisailam, while other depots also offer services to Bhairavakona, Ramateertham, Mogilicherla, Ponugodu, Kotappakonda, Sangameswaram, and other places for the convenience of devotees.