Thousands have holy dip in connection with Sivaratri

Devotees thank officials for elaborate arrangements Visakhapatnam: The entire stretch of Rama Krishna Beach from the Coastal Battery area to VUDA Park, Lumbini Park, Tenneti Park, Sagarnagar, Rushikonda and Bhimunipatnam, was crowded with devotees who thronged the area for a holy dip in the sea since the wee hours of Monday. They had obsered night-long 'Sivaratri Jagaram'. The event peaceful except some minor incidents. The Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) and the City Police made elaborate security arrangements by deploying community guards, swimmers, expert divers and a large number of police personnel on the beach to ensure security for devotees. The police from the special out-post continuously alerted the visitors not to venture into the deep waters, as it has a powerful undercurrent. The security arrangements were monitored by Municipal Commissioner MV Satyanarayana, Commissioner of Police B Sivadhar Reddy, DCP Vishnu Prasad and other officials. Thousands of men, women, children and youth enjoyed the holy dip till noon. They offered prayers to the specially erected Siva Lingas. When the police found Harini (10) of Kancharapalem weeping for her parents, they handed her over to her father Marla Venkateswara Rao after making an announcement. The Three Town police took G Poturaju of Kancharapalem into preventive custody for misbehaving with women. The police traced a missing boy, A Sai Kiran (5) of Gandhinagar near Butchirajupalem and handed him over to his parents. The parents thanked the police. The community guards, swimmers and divers too performed well in monitoring the movement of devotees. The APSRTC operated special buses to the beach from various parts of the City.