3 months ago
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Large numbers of devotees thronged the revered Kotappakonda shrine successful Palnadu district, on with different celebrated Siva temples specified arsenic the Amaravati Temple, to observe the night-long vigil and rituals arsenic portion of the Mahasivaratri festivities connected Sunday (February 15, 2026) and Monday (February 16).
Farmers from villages successful Palnadu, Bapatla, Guntur, and different districts arrived connected agriculture tractors and different vehicles for the Kotappakonda festival, turning the elevation shrine into a oversea of humanity.
Palnadu Superintendent of Police B. Krishna Rao connected Monday told The Hindu that astir 2 lakh devotees had darshan astatine Kotappakonda, portion an estimated 10 lakh radical witnessed the electrical and mean chariots procession and celebrations. Over 25,000 vehicles, including two-wheelers, cars, tractors, and maxi trucks, converged connected the temple town. Authorities arranged 120 shuttle buses exclusively for ghat question and 530 buses from Vinukonda, Narasaraopet, and Chilakaluripet to guarantee creaseless movement.
The SP said that determination was adjacent coordination with the territory medication with “absolutely nary connection gap” during readying and execution. Notably, the accepted strategy of issuing VIP darshan passes was eliminated this year. Instead, online paid tickets with clip slots were introduced, regulating assemblage travel and preventing the surge witnessed past twelvemonth erstwhile astir 20,000 VIP passes were distributed. The determination was wide appreciated by communal pilgrims and nationalist representatives alike.
Extensive parking facilities spanning astir 100 acres of endowment onshore were developed with lighting and a dedicated exit way to forestall postulation snarls. Additional exit roads were levelled, lit, and equipped with makeshift culverts to easiness the aboriginal greeting exodus aft 3 a.m.
CCTV cameras and drones monitored queues and traffic, portion sector-wise drone briefings, radium markers, signages, and GPS coordinates enhanced on-ground management, ensuring a creaseless and incident-free celebrations.
