For First Time, Shivaratri Jatara Shifted To Bheemeswara Temple Amid Rs 150-Crore Expansion In Vemulawada
Karimnagar: Firstly, the annual Maha Shivaratri Jatara of Sri Raja Rajeshwara Swamy Temple is being held at the attached Sri Bheemeswara Swamy Temple in Vemulawada of Rajanna Sircilla district due to ongoing expansion work at the main temple.
The three-day festivities started with a religious ceremony on Saturday. The main temple complex is undergoing a Rs 150 billion expansion to improve infrastructure, temple officials said. To avoid inconvenience to devotees and ensure safety during the construction activity, the Jatara Coordination Committee, headed by collector-in-charge Garima Agrawal and superintendent of police Mahesh B. Gite, shifted the essential rituals and darshan arrangements to the Bheemeswara temple.
Devotees have been offering mokkulu at Bheemeswara temple since October 11. Pilgrims are currently allowed to catch a glimpse of the presiding deity through a promotional chariot stationed in front of the Rajanna temple before heading to the Bheemeswara temple for prayers.
The district administration is expecting more than 2.5 lakh pilgrims on February 14, 15 and 16 and has made elaborate arrangements in the temple town.
In the temple parking areas, 120 water showers for men and 140 for women were installed in place of access to the traditional temple tank. Temple executive officer L. Rama Devi said 2 lakh laddus have been prepared for distribution.
Medical desks and emergency medical centers were established on the approach roads. Temporary sheds and barricades were arranged for queue management and decorative illuminations and floral displays were installed all over the town for Shiva Deeksha devotees.
The temple board has launched a digital help desk for the first time. Devotees can access 12 services, including darshan times, transport details and locations of drinking water and first aid points, by scanning the QR code or messaging on WhatsApp to 87369 36969.
TGSRTC depot manager Bonalu Srinivas said 600 private buses will be operated from Hyderabad, Karimnagar, Warangal and Nizamabad to facilitate travel.
Special rituals for Raja Rajeshwara Swamy continue in the main sanctum, said High Priest Chandragiri Sharath Sharma. The public program at Bheemeswara temple includes the presentation of sacred silk clothes (Pattu Vastralu) by TTD followed by the presentation of official silk clothes by the state government and Mahalingarchana on the evening of February 15.
Mahanyasa Purvaka Ekadasa Rudrabhishekam will be held during Lingodbhava from 11.35 pm on 15 February and will continue on 16 February. More than 1,000 police personnel have been deployed under the supervision of SP Gite and CCTV surveillance has been installed across the town to manage the influx of pilgrims.
