Record turnout for Rahu-Kethu pujas at Srikalahasti temple

Tirupati: Srikalahasti Devasthanam witnessed a huge turnout for the famous Rahu-Kethu pujas on Sunday.

As the new moon (Amavasya) day falls on Sunday in the first day of Ashadha month, thousands of devotees thronged the temple to offer prayers to the presiding deities. Needless to say that Rahu-Kethu puja has become a cash cow for the Devasthanam which attracts a number of devotees including VIPs from different fields to the temple to perform the puja to get rid of their ‘Doshas’ in their stars.

Especially, several devotees prefer to perform the pujas on new moon day and during Rahu Kala time on every day. As such, as many as 7,596 devotees have performed the pujas in the temple on Sunday fetching the temple revenue of Rs 64.50 lakh.

On June 4, 5,375 devotees performed these pujas fetching the temple a sum of Rs 42.62 lakh on a single day. According to the temple sources, 7,596 devotees for Rahu Kethu pujas is a record as the previous highest was 7,200 only.

The sources also said that 4,271 devotees have purchased Rs 500 tickets to perform Rahu-Ketu pujas, followed by Rs 750 tickets by 2,081, Rs 1,500 tickets by 661, Rs 2,500 tickets by 461 and Rs 5,000 tickets by 122 devotees.

Further, 6,094 devotees purchased tickets to get Seeghra Darshanam and special entrance. While the Seeghra Darshan tickets were purchased by 3,334 devotees, 2,760 special entrance tickets were also sold. Also, 26,639 packets of prasadams including pulihora, big laddu, small laddu, vada and jilebi were sold.

The temple authorities had a hectic time throughout the day in controlling the queue lines. Temple Trust Board chairman Anjuru Taraka Srinivasulu, EO KV Sagar Babu and other officials plunged into action to ensure hassle-free darshan for devotees.

Speaking to The Hans India, chairman Srinivasulu said that they have provided water and buttermilk continuously in the queue lines to make the devotees get relief from the scorching heat.

“I have monitored the queue lines and Rahu-Kethu puja mandapas personally from morning to evening and tried to streamline the queue lines. Antaralaya Darshans were completely restricted except for protocol VIPs.”