Kurnool: The temple town of Srisailam witnessed an unprecedented surge of devotees on occasion of the Maha Shivaratri, with 2.5 lakh pilgrims thronging the holy shrine by Sunday evening itself.
Chants of “Om Namah Shivaya” reverberated through the temple as devotees queued up for darshan of Lord Mallikarjuna Swamy and Goddess Bhramaramba.
Temple authorities said the darshan of the auspicious day commenced at 2:30 a.m. on Sunday. Devotees had begun arriving as early as 9 p.m. on Saturday, filling up the temple town and the Nallamala ghat roads, which remained choked with traffic through the day.
Police maintained a continuous vigil over the serpentine queues, which are expected to continue till 11 a.m. on Monday. With accommodation facilities falling short, thousands of pilgrims spend the night in the open. Bathing ghats and changing rooms remained overcrowded as the influx steadily increased hour after hour.
District officials monitored the situation closely. The collector visited the temple early in the morning and reviewed the arrangements. Police had been deployed in large numbers to prevent any untoward incidents or stampedes. Seven ambulances remained stationed at strategic points to handle medical emergencies.
Heavy turnouts have also been reported from Mahanandi Temple, where devotees began arriving before dawn.
In Kadapa district, major shrines, such as Polatala Mallikarjuna Swamy Temple, Nageswara Kona Temple and Bhairaveswara Kona Temple saw massive footfalls. Revenue officials made elaborate arrangements to manage devotees arriving from distant regions.
Several prominent temples in Kurnool district too reported large gatherings.
Inadequate bus services caused inconvenience to pilgrims, particularly those travelling to Srisailam. Devotees complained of waiting for hours without transport.
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