Around 2,100 police personnel have been deployed for the Simhachalam’s annual Chandanotsavam festival scheduled on Sunday. Severe traffic congestion is likely to occur especially in the West Sub-division limits, as over 1.5 lakh devotees from various parts of the State are likely to visit the temple to witness the ‘Nijaroopa Darshanam’. The police have arranged separate parking places for devotees on and down the hill
According to traffic police personnel, devotees with ₹300, ₹1,000 tickets and free darshan coming from Sontyam and Hanumanthuwaka areas can park their vehicles, whether it is two/four and auto-rickshaws, in allocated parking lots at Adavivaram. The Devasthanam officials have arranged buses for the devotees from Adavivaram Junction to go to Simhachalam hill. The traffic police have asked heavy vehicles coming from Hanumanthauwaka to use Anandapuram route to reach Pendurthi and Gopalapatnam instead of using Adavivaram.
Similarly, ₹1,500 ticket holders should follow the Hanumanthauwaka – Arilova – Pineapple Colony route and park their vehicles at allotted spaces near the new tollgate. AC buses were allotted for them near BC Welfare High School Ground. The devotees can use these buses to go to hill and return. The devotees should use the same route to return to their destinations.
People with ₹300 and ₹1,000 tickets coming from Gopalapatnam and Vepagunta should reach Old Goshala Junction. Parking places were separately allotted for auto-rickshaws, two-wheelers and four-wheelers. Devotees can use buses provided at Simhapuri Colony to reach the temple.
The traffic police clearly stated that apart from the vehicles allotted by the devasthanam, no personal vehicles will be allowed on to the hill.
Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police Sheikh Arifullah appealed to people of Simhachalam not to travel between Old Goshala Junction and Adavivaram unless it is an emergency. In case of emergency, people can show their Aadhaar cards and travel, he said.
Over 160 buses
The darshanam will begin at 3 a.m. after the temple dharmakarthas and the Endowment officials offer ‘pattu vasthrams’ to the main deity on Sunday. As many as 160 RTC city buses are being arranged by the RTC authorities to Simhachalam from 25 places of the district.
Being weekend, a large number of people have started to reach Visakhapatnam to attend the festival from Saturday afternoon. Many buses and trains arriving from Srikakulam, Odisha, Vizianagaram and Vijayawada are seen packed.
Many devotees from in and around Visakhapatnam district arrange vehicles and arrive Simhachalam a day before the Chandanotsavam and start entering the queue lines a night before the festival.
A command and control room was set up on the hill to to monitor crowd management. Public addressing systems were arranged at various places.
