All set for Mother Mary festival

Visakhapatnam: Elaborate arrangements were made for the festival of Immaculate Conception of Mother Mary on Friday at the Ross Hill church in the city. The festive day celebrations begin with a holy mass in the early morning at the cave on the hill followed by other events.

In the afternoon, a procession will be taken out with the idol of Mother Mary holding Infant Jesus from St Aloysius High School near Old Post Office to the Ross Hill. Devotees in large numbers from other districts including Vizianagaram, Srikakulam, Godavari throng Ross Hill to take part in the holy mass and seek blessings.

Volunteers from different churches in the district will be assigned different positions near the church premises to regulate the flow of devotees. Friday’s elaborate programme, which commences in the morning and ends in the night, marks the end of nine days of festivities.

RTC is operating special buses for the convenience of devotees coming from distant places to the church on the festive day. To ease traffic congestion, buses and private vehicles ferrying the devotees will be stopped near the Queen Mary’s statue. The devotees will have to trek to Ross Hill.

Barricades were erected for smooth flow of devotees up to church on Ross Hill and back. Besides, petty vendors are excused to sell candles and other material. Police personnel have been deployed at the Ross Hill premises to avoid any untoward incidents.