Nellore: Corona puts brakes on roti exchange fest

Nellore: After many decades Nelloreans are going to miss the widely popular Roti Festival due to the Covid situation.

The Bara Shaheed Dargah organises the event memorising the 12 Muslim martyrs who sacrificed their lives during the fight against the British whose mortal remains were buried here. Hence, the Dargah has been named as Bara (Twelve) Shaheed (Martyrs).

Though the battle was held around 1,200 years ago, the practice of exchanging Rotis was started some decades ago. For the last 30 to 40 years, local people have been observing the event and the state government declared it as a state festival in 2015.

Many devotees visit the Dargah for witnessing the event that starts on Muharram. This year the day of Muharram is falling on Aug 29. In fact, the administration should have made extensive arrangements for conducting the event, but it has been decided to conduct it confining to the internal prayers.

The festival that starts from Muharram continues for the next four days and devotees from various parts of Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Telangana and Karnataka visit the place for offering prayers and exchanging Rotis, pledged with their concerns in the belief that they will be solved, in knee-deep water in Swarnala Tank, close to the Dargah.

Officials are planning for conducting the event at the Dargah premises without allowing devotees, and exchanging Rotis which would create another disaster in the district due to the presence of population across South India. Rotis are labelled in education, health, employment, foreign tour and education, political career and others.

New Roti names have also been included recently during the TDP regime. A senior official from the Tourism department said people can exchange Rotis at their doorsteps following the tradition during the festival time giving no scope for spreading the virus.