Maha Shivaratri jatara relocated to Bheemeshwara temple, three-day fair from February 14

For the first time, the Maha Shivaratri jatara of the Sri Rajarajeshwara Swamy temple in Vemulawada will be held at the Bheemeshwara Swamy temple due to ongoing renovation works. Scheduled from February 14 to 16, the three-day fair is expected to draw lakhs of devotees from Telangana and neighbouring states.

Rajanna-Sircilla: The Bheemeshwara Swamy temple in Vemulawada has been decked up for the Maha Shivaratri jatara, with the three-day annual fair scheduled to be held from February 14 to 16.

For the first time in the history of the Sri Rajarajeshwara Swamy temple, the jatara is being conducted outside the main shrine.

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In view of the renovation works underway at the Sri Rajarajeshwara Swamy temple, the authorities have decided to organise the jatara at the Bheemeshwara temple this year. The decision was taken at the jatara coordination committee meeting held on December 30 last year.

Temple authorities and the district administration have made elaborate arrangements as lakhs of devotees are expected to visit the shrine from different parts of Telangana and neighbouring States such as Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh on the occasion of Maha Shivaratri. Apart from earmarking parking space near the temple tank, temporary sheds and queue lines have been set up at the Bheemeshwara temple.

Officials from the Revenue, municipal, panchayat, police and temple departments, along with other departments, have been engaged in the arrangements. TGSRTC authorities have decided to operate additional buses to the temple town from various depots in the Karimnagar, Adilabad, Warangal and Nizamabad regions to facilitate devotees. Mini buses will also be operated between Thippapur, the Vemulawada bus stand, and the shrine to transport devotees free of cost. In addition to decorating allied shrines and the temple town with attractive lighting, pandals have been erected for the convenience of devotees.

Giving top priority to sanitation, the Vemulawada municipal authorities have deployed sanitation workers to keep the shrine premises clean at all times. Temporary toilets and bio-urinals have also been set up.

Special arrangements have been made for women devotees, including separate bathing showers, changing rooms and baby-feeding centres. Special drinking water points have been arranged and water tankers deployed. Medical camps have been set up at various locations, including the temple tank, allied temples and bus stands. Apart from a designated VIP parking area near the temple tank, general parking spaces have been arranged at different locations in the town.

To ensure the peaceful conduct of the jatara, the police have deployed adequate personnel and installed CCTV cameras at various locations in the temple town. A huge dais has been erected at the temple tank parking area to organise Shivarchana cultural programmes. In-charge Collector Garima Agarwal reviewed the jatara arrangements with officials of various departments through a video conference on Thursday.