Chittoor: Kanipakam Varasiddi Vinayaka Brahmotsavams to begin on Aug 22

Chittoor: The stalemate on performing the proposed Brahmotsvams to Lord Varasiddi Vinayaka swamy, Kanipakam temple has been ended.

District Collector N B Gupta has consented for celebrating the fete under certain strict terms and conditions. Speaking to media at Kanipakam temple on Saturday, Gupta made it clear that only 3,000-4,000 devotees would be allowed to take part in the Brahmotsvams of Lord Vinayaka swamy commenced from August 22 to September 11.

In general, above 80,000 devotees are expected to take part in the Brahmotsvams. But due to the COVID-19 pandemic, only 3,000-4,000 devotees would be allowed subject to the prescribed terms and conditions, he added.

He further said the fete would be performed in low-key. Expenditure for the fete would be minimised for Rs 12 lakh only as against normal allocation of Rs 1 crore.

All the devotees would have to undergo the thermal screening test and random sample checking and no processions would be allowed, he made it clear. All sevas pertaining to annual Brahmotsvams would be performed within the premises of the temple only and entry tickets for devotees would be issued at outside limits of the temple, he said.

Mask wearing, physical distancing and cleansing the hands with sanitisers would be mandatory for all the devotees. All the security personnel, Archakas and the employees of temple should invariably go for COVID-19 testing in all respects before they resume their duties, he added.

SP S Senthil Kumar participating in the meet said that strict measures would be initiated for crowd management in the temple during the fete. Temple Executive Officer A Venkatesh, DSP K Eswar Reddy and others were present.