Durga Devi Jatara celebrated with fervour

Mancherial: The Durga Devi Jatara was celebrated at the shrine with gaiety and pomp on the outskirts of Ghadpur in Hajipur mandal on Sunday. Braving the drizzle, nearly 30,000 devotees from several parts of the district congregated at the shrine and took part in the ceremony.

The devotees from Mancherial town, Mandamarri, Bellampalli, Ramakrishnapur, Srirampur, Luxettipet towns, several mandals and also the neighbouring district stood in serpentine queue lines to offer special prayers to the deity.

They sacrificed chickens and goats as a token of gratitude for the well-being of their family members.

Mancherial MLA N Diwakar Rao and Peddapalli MP Dr B Venkatesh Netha visited the temple and offered prayers. They were welcomed by chairman of the governing committee of the temple J Vidyasagar Rao and priests. Earlier, homam and kumkumarchana were performed as part of an annual affair to the deity. Voluntary organisations organised poor feeding to mark the occasion.

After visiting the temple, the devotees, relatives and friends spent time having lunch. They also visited the children's park and indulged in shopping at the makeshift market. The shrine, situated on the shores of a quarry of Mancherial Cement Company (MCC) in the forests, came alive with the arrival of thousands of devotees.

Elaborate arrangements were made by the management of Mancherial Cement Company (MCC) formerly known as ACC. Barricades were erected as part of crowd management and for controlling traffic, drinking water facilities and toilets were also created. The medical department also erected a stall for providing services. Security measures were also in place to avoid untoward incidents.

Meanwhile, residents of Reddy Colony celebrated the annual Bonalu festival by worshipping the deity of Sri Pochamma. MLA Diwakar Rao and DCC president K Surekha also visited the temple. Several women attired in their traditional best presented bonam to the deity.