Mukkoti Vaikunta Ekadasi arrangements begin at Bhadrachalam temple

KOTHAGUDEM: District Collector Rajiv Gandhi Hanumanthu directed officials of all departments to make elaborate arrangements for smooth conduct of Mukkoti Vaikunta Ekadasi festival to be celebrated on January 8 and 9, 2017 in the temple town of Bhadrachalam. Addressing a district level officials meeting on Mukkoti Ekadasi festival arrangements in Bhadrachalam on Friday, he instructed the officials to ensure devotees not suffer during the two-day festival.

Reviewing security arrangements, he said as many as 1,150 personnel from the position of a DSP to homeguard will discharge duties on the two days. As many as 50,000 devotees from across the country are expected to visit the town during the festival and officials should make all arrangements like accommodation, lavatories and bathrooms in different places in the town, he said.

As part of Mukkoti Vykunta Ekadasi, there will be Teppotsavam in Godavari river from 4 pm to 8 pm on January 8. Lord Sri Rama and consort Sita Devi along with Laxmana Swamy will be taken on a ride on specially decorated Hamsa Vahanam.
On January 9, Lord Rama along with Sita Devi and Laxmana Swamy will give darshan to devotees from Uttara Dwaram from 5 am to 6 am.

The collector instructed officials to focus on sanitation in the town and surrounding areas of the temple and keep the temple area and town clean.
He also said expert swimmers and country boats would be given charge at the river to prevent untoward incidents during the festival.

The collector directed officials to give top priority to drinking water at all places including temple premises. He asked the RTC officials to operate more buses from all parts of the state to Bhadrachalam during the festival days.
Kothagudem RDO Ravindranath, Temple EO Ramesh Babu, Bhadrachalam in-charge DSP Ashok Kumar and district level officers participated.