Pilgrims Throng Srisailam Temple For Ugadi Festivities

Kurnool: With the Ugadi festival beginning on March 15 at Srisailam, thousands of pedestrian pilgrims from Karnataka as well as some parts of Maharashtra are travelling by vehicles and on foot to worship Lord Mallikarjuna Swamy. Every year, lakhs of devotees visit Srisailam temple every year for Ugadi to fulfill their vow. The Forest Department has started giving permission to allow the vehicles with offerings up to 15 km transit point at Peddacheruvu so that the pilgrims could camp, cook food, take rest and resume their journey.

The devotees hope their wishes would be fulfilled with the offerings to Goddess Bhramaramba Devi and Lord Mallikarjuna Swamy. They walk about 800 km in 15 days to reach the famous pilgrim shrine.

Scores of philanthropists move to the place with loads of rice, vegetables, water cans and medicines to distribute them freely among pilgrims.

It is their tradition is to give the offerings to the presiding deities of Srisailam temple. Among many others, pligrims offer mangalasutram, sarees, kumkum, flowers and tamarind to god.