Latest news with #GiriPradakshina
The Hindu
11-07-2025
- The Hindu
3.20 lakh devotees take part in Simhachalam ‘Giri Pradakshina'
The 'Giri Pradakshina' festival of the Sri Varaha Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy temple witnessed a massive turnout of devotees this year, with people from across Uttarandhra region participating in the circumambulation of the Simhachalam Hill on July 9 and 10. The Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) officials, who used AI-based tools to estimate the crowd, said that by 1:30 a.m. on Thursday, approximately 3.20 lakh devotees participated in the pilgrimage. The Simhachalam Devasthanam officials and the police said that the crowd surged in the evening on Wednesday. Many began their journey around 8 p.m. from Tholi Pavancha, with the traditional coconut-breaking ritual. Devotees walked through the night along the city lanes, aiming to return to Simhachalam by Thursday morning. While some completed the 32-km trek in 10 to 12 hours, others took longer. The devotees were seen resting along the footpaths, taking brief breaks during the 32-km trek. Vehicular traffic flow was severely affected, particularly on the stretch from Hanumanthawaka Junction to Maddilapalem, late Wednesday night. Vehicles were stuck in long queues, moving at a snail's pace, with the devotees occupying the road. Some citizens complained that they had not seen such heavy congestion in recent times. The police worked tirelessly through the night to manage the crowd and regulate traffic flow, continuing their efforts until early Thursday morning. Sanitation workers played a crucial role in maintaining hygiene after the religious event. Heaps of garbage piled up in colonies. Cleanliness activities began in the early hours, with garbage trucks deployed by 8 a.m. to clear the trash. Bleaching powder was also sprinkled in many areas to maintain the hygiene.
Hans India
11-07-2025
- Hans India
‘Giri Pradakshina' turns out to be ‘galla-brimming' fete for auto drivers
Visakhapatnam: For auto-rickshaw drivers, 'Giri Pradakshina' turned out to be a 'galla-brimming' festival. From Wednesday midnight to Thursday noon, the auto-drivers were busy fleecing the devotees by charging unbelievable rates for each trip. Lakhs of devotees arrived at Simhachalam for 'Giri Pradakshina', commencing their trek right from the wee hours of Wednesday. The festival drew devotees not just from Visakhapatnam but also from neighbouring districts and states as well. Approximately, 7 lakh to 8 lakh devotees took part in the Giri Pradakshina this year. Barring the deployed fleet of RTC buses that were plying in full capacities, the transport facility provided for the festival failed to cater to such a massive turnout. This prompted many devotees to board auto-rickshaws to reach their destinations. Cashing in on the demand, auto-rickshaw drivers demanded exorbitant rates from the passengers. After completing a long tiring trek under the scorching sun, G Madhavi, who works as a housemaid, was desperate to reach home. 'I was shocked when the auto-rickshaw driver demanded Rs.600 to drop me from Ghosala to HB Colony,' she mentioned. However, with no other mode of transport coming in handy, Madhavi was left with no other choice than to travel in the auto-rickshaw. Sharing a similar experience, Mahesh Patro, another devotee from Odisha who completed the 32-km-long trek, said, 'I paid Rs.1,000 to get dropped to Visakhapatnam railway station from Simhachalam. As I had to catch the train, I ended up paying the amount charged by the auto driver.' Most auto-rickshaws along the Simhachalam route were seen overloaded with not less than 10 passengers per trip, both on Giri Pradakshina day and the following day. In the meantime, netizens took to social media platforms to share traffic woes experienced as several locations, including Hanumanthawaka, Vepagunta and Simhachalam, witnessed traffic snarls.
Time of India
10-07-2025
- Time of India
Eight lakh devotees take part in Simhachalam Giri Pradakshina
1 2 3 Visakhapatnam : A staggering 8 lakh devotees participated in the Giri Pradakshina, a 32-kilometer spiritual walk around Sri Varaha Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy's temple on Simhachalam Hill in Visakhapatnam. Despite the massive turnout, which doubled compared to previous years, the event proceeded without any untoward incidents. The temple management extended Narasimha Swamy's darshan timing to 10:30 pm on Wednesday and initiated darshan at 3:30 am on Thursday to accommodate the increasing number of devotees. Devotees unable to complete the 32-km trek were offered pradakshina within the temple from early Thursday morning until afternoon. At Tholi Pavancha, lakhs of coconuts were piled up, and the temple management arranged 60 queue lines for devotees to break coconuts before commencing their walk. However, due to the sheer number of devotees, many broke coconuts on the road and proceeded with their Giri Pradakshina. The event was not without its challenges, as traffic congestion became a major issue. Devotees and the general public were trapped in traffic jams at Isukathota, Venkojipalem, Hanumanthawaka junctions, and other areas, leading to vehicles being stuck for two to three hours. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Is it legal? How to get Internet without paying a subscription? Techno Mag Learn More Undo Traffic restrictions necessitated parking vehicles five to six km away from the temple, increasing the Giri Pradakshina distance to over 40 kilometers for thousands of devotees. Despite the chaos, the temple management and authorities ensured a hassle-free experience for the devotees. The Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) authorities used artificial intelligence-based facial recognition technology to track the number of devotees accurately. Drones hovered overhead to check for stampedes, and geo-tags were placed on children's hands to prevent them from getting lost. A senior police officer estimated that around 8 lakh devotees took part in the Giri Pradakshina and acknowledged that managing the roads without traffic restrictions would have been impossible. The priests conducted special rituals and offered approximately 125 kilograms of sandalwood mixed with fragrant substances to the deity early on Thursday morning. Executive officer Vendra Trinadharao expressed gratitude to all officials, staff, and contributors for the successful completion of the Giri Pradakshina, which was completed peacefully and incident-free with the deity's blessings.
The Hindu
10-07-2025
- General
- The Hindu
Grand ‘Ashadha Purnima' celebrations held at Indrakeeladri
The Indrakeeladri, abode of Goddess Kanaka Durga, resonated with devotion and vibrant cultural fervour on the occasion of 'Ashadha Purnima', as thousands of devotees participated in the 'Giri Pradakshina' organised by the Sri Durga Malleswara Swamy Varla Devasthanam, here on Thursday. The goddess was adorned in a splendid 'Swarna Kavacha' (golden armour) and appeared to devotees in the form of Sakambari Devi, decorated with a variety of dry and fresh fruits, and vegetables. The temple's senior priest, Shivaprasad, alongside the vedic committee, and other archakas, performed the 'Saptashati Homam', 'Maha Vidya Parayanam', 'Shanti Paushtika Homam', and 'Kushmanda Bali'. Speaking on the occasion, temple executive officer V.K. Seena Naik said that prayers were offered for timely rains, bountiful harvest, and the prosperity of the nation and the State. Over the three days — from July 8 to 10— approximately 36 tonnes of vegetables, fruits, and dry fruits were used to decorate the sanctum sanctorum and sub-shrines. Devotees were offered 'Kadambam prasadam', prepared with vegetables, free of cost throughout the celebrations. As part of 'Guru Purnima', also known as 'Vyasa Purnima', a special felicitation ceremony was held honouring spiritual teachers and Vedic scholars. Those felicitated included: Tangirala Venkateswara Ghanapati, vedic scholar from the Devasthanam; Shankaramanchi Shivaprasad, senior chief priest of the temple; Ahitagni Guntur Sri Ramachandra Somayajulu, vedic scholar from Krishnalanka. Mr. Seena Naik, along with his spouse, initiated the 'pradakshina' with special pujas and coconut breaking rituals. Devotional fervour marked the procession with performances of 'Kolatam' (traditional stick dance), bhajans, sankeertanas, cultural presentations, and vedic chants by scholars. The route passed through Ghat Road temple, Kummaripalem Centre, Vidyadharapuram, Milk Factory, Chittinagar, Kothapet, Brahmin Street, and culminated at Indrakeeladri, with thousands of devotees walking in reverence and seeking the blessings of Goddess Durga and Lord Malleshwara. In conjunction with the full moon day, the temple witnessed the conclusion of the three-day 'Mahapurnahuti celebrations. The events included Kalashodvasana, Marjanam, Prasadam distribution, and the ceremonial conclusion (Utsava Samapti) of the festivities.
Hans India
10-07-2025
- Climate
- Hans India
Sea of devotees have hassle-free ‘Giri Pradakshina'
Visakhapatnam: The grand annual festival of Lord Sri Varaha Lakshmi Narasimha of Simhachalam Devasthanam 'Giri Pradakshina' commenced in Visakhapatnam in the early hours of Wednesday. Devotees arrived at Tholipavancha from 5 am and started their trek by breaking a coconut at the foothill of Simhachalam. According to the muhurtham, the Devasthanam commenced the Giri Pradakshina at 2 pm by pulling the 'pushparatham' of the presiding deity the Tholipavancha. The pushparatham was flagged off by the hereditary trustee of the temple, Pusapati Ashok Gajapathi Raju and MLAs Ganta Srinivasa Rao and PGVR Naidu. For the convenience of devotees, vehicles are being restricted from Gopalapatnam petrol bunk junction to Ghosala junction till Thursday evening. The devotees who commenced their trek had to reach the Ghosala. From there, they had to reach the Tholipavancha by trekking. Similarly, heavy vehicles were not allowed in the city limits. Every year, the city witnesses mild showers and the weather used to be pleasant for the trekkers. However, this time, the temperature soared till afternoon on the Giri Pradakshina day. As a result, those who were on a trek without footwear faced inconvenience. As part of the annual festival, queue lines, shamiyanas and tents used to be facilitated near the Tholipavancha so that devotees could commence their trek, breaking a coconut comfortably. However, with the tents getting collapsed while erecting, the temple officials removed them. With this, the devotees experienced inconvenience due to unfavourable weather conditions. Following diversions, a number of junctions, including BRTS road, Vepagunta, Hanumanthawaka, Gopalapatnam, Pendurthi, witnessed heavy traffic congestions. For the first time, the district officials utilised an Artificial Intelligence-based facial recognition technology system to record an accurate number of devotees taking part in the Giri Pradakshina. Special arrangement was made to record the event near Simhachalam and the AI kept recording each second. Serving the devotees in various ways all along the trek, several NGO representatives pitched in setting up stalls and reaching out to the devotees, providing them, medicines, water, refreshments, etc. Volunteers of Sri Sathya SaiSeva organisations, including Simhachalam Samithi, Madhavadh Samithi, did yeoman's service to the devotees circumambulating 32-km-long trek. As part of the service activity, the volunteers offered foot massages to the devotees using herbal oil. Providing relief to the devotees, their service was well appreciated by the pilgrims. In addition to the foot massage, the volunteers served tiffins and refreshments to the devotees at various locations. With complete coordination of endowments, district administration, police, GVMC officials, the festival was organised in a hassle-free manner.
