Vizianagaram :
The district administration has made elaborate arrangements to meet the festive rush for the annual ‘Sirimanotsavam’ of Sri Pydithalli Ammavaru to be held at the Three Lanterns Junction in Vizianagaram town Tuesday. Following the directions of chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu, ministers K Atchannaidu and K Mrunalini are supervising the arrangements to ensure that devotees do not face any inconvenience during the festivities.
More than two lakh devotees are expected to participate in ‘Sirimanotsavam’ this year as many could not have darshan of Pydithalli Ammavaru last year, which was organised amidst tense atmosphere following the attack on the properties of former minister Botcha Satyanarayana.
Even as the entire town wore a festive look since Sunday night, devotees are arriving at the town from various parts of north Coastal Andhra districts and also from Koraput and Rayagada of Odisha state to offer prayers to the Goddess.
The procession of ‘Sirimanu’ will begin at 3 pm Tuesday and conclude by 5 pm. Sri Pydithalli Ammavaru Temple priest Thallapudi Bhaskara Rao will ride the ‘Sirimanu’ during the procession wherein the devotees will present their offerings to the “Goddess”.
Over 1,500 police personnel, including seven deputy superintendents of police, 37 circle inspectors and 70 sub-inspectors, have been deployed from neighbouring districts at all vulnerable points in the town, to avert untoward incidents. A police control room has also been set up opposite the temple at the Three Lanterns Junction. Traffic restrictions have been imposed along the roads leading to the main road between the Three Lanterns Junction and the Fort Tuesday, to ensure smooth conduct of the procession.
Iron barricades have been erected on either side of the road between the Three Lanterns Junction and the Fort. The officials also have erected pandals along the queue lines to ensure that devotees are not put to inconvenience under the heat or unexpected showers. The civic administration has set up drinking water kiosks, toilets and temporary lavatories at vantage points in the town. Additional sanitation workers from the neighbouring municipalities, including Visakhapatnam city, have been roped in.
The Endowments Department has arranged separate enclosures for devotees on both sides of the temple for having darshan of the presiding deity. A separate enclosure has also been set up for free darshan. Nearly 50,000 laddoos are being readied for sale through the prasadam counters apart from distribution of free prasadam for devotees.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Andhra Pradesh / Express News Service / October 07th, 2014