Giri Pradakshina to be held on July 26

Visakhapatnam: HRD Minister Ganta Srinivasa Rao along with Commissioner (in-charge) GVMC Basanth Kumar reviewed the arrangements for ‘Giri Pradakshina,’ a 32-km long-walk around Simhachalam hills, to be held on July 26, here on Monday. 

The Giri Pradakshina around Lord Varaha Lakshminrusimha Swamy temple located at Simhachalam is an annual festival of north coastal Andhra and parts of Odisha, Chhattisgarh and West Bengal. Over three lakh devotees will participate in the walk and after having darshan of Lord Simhadri Appanna, the ritual will be concluded. 

Every year, the devotees will kick-start the walk after breaking a coconut at the downhills of Simhachalam on the full moon day and throughout the night they will walk.

However, due to longest lunar eclipse on July 27, the full moon day, the temple will be closed from 1 pm and will be opened on July 28 after Maha Samprokshana. 

With this, there is a big confusion among the devotees about the timings to kick-start Giri Pradakshina. The priests are suggesting the devotees to start the walk on July 26 evening hours and complete the ritual before 1 pm on July 27.