The Simhachalam hill seemed to burst at the seams as over one lakh devotees converged on it to have darshan of Lord Varaha Lakshmi Nrusimha Swamy on the occasion of Guru Purnima on Friday.
The authorities, who failed to anticipate the unprecedented rush, had to face criticism from the devotees for “poor arrangements.” The number of devotees participating in the annual ‘giri pradakshina’ is increasing with each passing year. Devotees not only from the city and district but also north Andhra and other districts of the State as also from other states are undertaking the 32-km circumambulation of the hill.
‘Worms in prasadam’
There were complaints of worms in the ‘laddu’ prasadam and poor arrangements.
The devotees normally go back by buses after darshan. However, the unprecedented rush resulted in devotees waiting for hours on end to catch a bus.
“Nearly 3.5 lakh devotees participated in ‘giri pradakshina’ this year and 1.5 lakh devotees visited the temple on Thursday and Friday. A sum of Rs.15.37 lakh was received as income during the two days,” Executive Officer Ramachandra Mohan told The Hindu .
Meanwhile, a rush of devotees was witnessed at various temples, particularly Shirdi Sai Baba temples, in the city on the occasion of Guru Purnima.
The temples were specially decked up with flowers and special pujas performed.
Guru Purnima celebrated at various temples in city
