The ‘Rottela Panduga’ festival kicks off at Bara Shaheed Dargah in Nellore district, drawing devotees from all over India and beyond. Starting June 26,participants will exchange ‘rotis’ at Swarnala Cheruvu as part of spiritual vows and prayers.
Thursday evening saw a new boat ride service launch at Boating Club near Dargah . Nellore Rural MLA Kotamreddy Sridhar Reddy oversaw the event,with APTDC Chairman Nookasani Balaji there,who aims to boost the site as a tourist draw.
Swarnala Cheruvu is refreshed,ready for throngs of devotees. Festival kicks off with ‘Sandhal Mall’ ritual,cleaning martyrs’ tombs at Dargah. Main events span five days, ending with a sandal procession and prayer for 12 martyrs.
District administration gears up for smooth event, guided by MA&UD Minister Ponguru Narayana and Collector Himanshu Shukla. Over 6,000 sanitation workers mobilized, working in shifts to keep area clean.
Drinking water stations set up within Dargah for safe hydration. Mobile toilets installed for convenience.
Security is tight,with SP Ajitha Vejendla deploying 1,600 police for event . Continuous monitoring supported by control room overseeing Dargah area.
Power supply critical for festival. K . Raghavendran from APSPDCL confirmed 10 special transformers installed for uninterrupted electricity. Staff on alert in shifts to ensure reliability.
Safety at Swarnala Cheruvu, site of holy dips, is top priority. Fisheries Department Joint Director Chand Basha has 45 expert swimmers in three shifts,15 swimmers and boats per shift to prevent incidents.
Fire safety addressed,with District Fire Officer V. Srinivas Rao deploying 125 fire personnel from districts like Prakasam,Bapatla,and Tirupati. Team equipped with four fire tenders, two rescue boats, and 40 fire-extinguishing devices,plus 10 cleaning pumps for ghat area.
As festival nears, community readies for a vibrant celebration…
