Srikakulam: Sun God temple decked up for Rathasapthami festival

Srikakulam: Sun God temple has been decked up for Rathasapthami festival at Arasavalli in Srikakulam district and the festival will be celebrated on Friday.

Revenue, police, municipal and endowments departments' officials have made all arrangements for the festival. Separate parking places have been arranged at 80 feet road and at DCMS godown areas for two-wheeler and four-wheeler parking.

APSRTC will ply special bus services for the festival to the benefit of devotees coming from different places. Queue lines have been set up around the temple for VVIPs, VIPs, Rs 500 ticket-holders, Rs 100 ticket-holders and for free darshan. Officials have made arrangements to maintain physical distance among devotees at queue lines and sanitisers have been arranged.

Road traffic diverted at different places in and around Srikakulam city to avoid traffic issues at seven roads' junction, Arasavalli road, 80-feet road, Surya Mahal road, G T Road, Potti Sriramulu Market Road etc.

District Collector J Nivas and SP Amith Bardhar issued directions to temple officials to educate devotees on wearing of masks. District Medical and Health department officials have arranged medical camps around the temple to educate devotees over Covid protocol and to provide first aid if required.

Closed circuit cameras were also arranged at the temple premises to monitor the devotees' movement and to avoid rush. Prasadam and ticket sale counters were set up separately near the temple premises.

Devotees believe that darshan of the presiding deity at the shrine of Sri Suryanarayana Swamy (Sun God) on the occasion of Rathasapthami will provide health and wealth. They started arriving at the temple from Thursday evening to have a darshan of the Lord in the early hours on Friday. Total 500 police officers and staff have been deployed at the temple for the festival as part of preventive efforts to avoid devotee rush.