Heavy rush at Vemulawada temple despite renovation works

Despite renovation works and darshan being shifted, the Sri Rajarajeshwara Swamy temple at Vemulawada is witnessing heavy crowds, with over 75,000 devotees visiting in a day, driven by holidays and the approaching Sammakka-Sarakka jatara.

Rajanna-Sircilla: Despite darshan being shifted to another shrine due to ongoing renovation works, the Sri Rajarajeshwara Swamy temple at Vemulawada has been witnessing a huge rush over the last few days, with more than 75,000 devotees visiting the shrine on Friday alone.

With renovation works under way at the main temple, alternate arrangements, including darshan of Sri Rajarajeshwara Swamy, Kodemokku and other rituals, have been made at the nearby Bheemeshwaram Swamy temple.

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The beginning of the biennial tribal fair Sammakka-Sarakka jatara, coupled with continuous holidays, is the main reason for the surge in devotees. In north Telangana, it is a tradition to have darshan of Lord Shiva at Vemulawada before visiting the Sammakka-Sarakka jatara, scheduled to be held from January 28 to 31. Sankranthi festival holidays have further prompted devotees to complete their rituals at the Vemulawada shrine.

Devotees from different parts of the State, as well as neighbouring Maharashtra, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, are visiting the temple in large numbers. Pilgrims are seen standing in long queue lines to have darshan of the presiding deity.

Though all regular rituals such as Abhishekam and others are available, devotees are giving priority to Kodemokku, a ritual that is unique and popular at the Vemulawada shrine. Pilgrims are having to wait for three to four hours to perform Kodemokku.

In view of the increasing rush, temple authorities are taking all possible steps to ensure the convenience of devotees.

Meanwhile, the free travel facility for women in TGSRTC buses has also contributed to the swelling crowds. TGSRTC buses operating to Vemulawada are packed with devotees.