Hyderabad: Major temples across Hyderabad city experienced a significant influx of devotees on Sunday, as large numbers of people thronged to seek blessings from the deities on the auspicious occasion of Toli Ekadashi.

The historic Sri Jungle Vithoba Temple, with a heritage spanning almost 150 years, was bustling with activity from the early hours of Sunday. Devotees formed long queues, eager for their first darshan on Toli Ekadashi. Traffic congestion was reported near the temple’s lanes and bylanes, posing a challenging task for the temple committee members to manage the crowds. Originally, Jungle Vithoba Temple stood nestled within a dense jungle along the banks of the Musi River at Gowliguda in Hyderabad. Over time, the jungle receded, and the area transformed into a busy traffic island, lending the temple its unique name, “Jungle Vithoba,” from this long-lost forest. One of the temple’s most distinctive features is its architecture, with its ‘shikaram’ (spire) being a near replica of the famous Vithoba Temple’s spire in Pandharpur, Maharashtra. To accommodate the growing number of devotees, the temple has undergone several renovations, while ensuring the original inner sanctum remains untouched. This festival has evolved into a living tradition and a symbol of faith and cultural unity, drawing people from diverse backgrounds to participate in the celebrations.

The Sri Shyam Baba Temple at Veerannagutta near Kachiguda was also adorned for the First Ekadashi. Devotees faced waits of over two hours to catch a glimpse of Sri Shyam Baba on the occasion of ‘Dev Shaini Ekadashi’. On this day, Lord Vishnu is worshipped, and devotees observe a fast.

It is widely believed that fasting and worshipping Lord Vishnu on this day fulfils all wishes. Devotees were observed actively participating in Kirtans (devotional singing) throughout the occasion.

Furthermore, devotees flocked to other famous Vaishnavite temples across the state, including the Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy Temple at Yadagirigutta. Being a Sunday holiday, a considerable number of devotees were seen, with common devotees facing a wait of over two hours for darshan, while special entry ticket holders waited approximately an hour. Other temples that witnessed large turnouts included the Sri Vithaleshwara Swamy Temple at Nizamabad, TTD Venkateshwara Swamy Temple at Himayatnagar, Kothaguda Sri Venkatagiri Swamy Temple, Sri Sitaramachandra Swamy Devasthanams in Khammam, and Ainavolu Mallikarjuna Swamy Temple in Ainavolu in Warangal district, among other locations.