Rush of pilgrims peaked as actor politician Pawan Kalyan joined the more than two lakh devotees in offering prayers at Bara Shaheed Dargah coinciding with ‘Gandhamahotasavam,’ the main event of the Rottiyaan-Ki-Eid State festival, on Sunday.
Accompanied by tollywood co-actor Ali, the Jana Sena Party chief prayed for victory for his fledgling party in the coming Lok Sabha and Assembly elections in the State after Kadapa Dargah head Arifullah Mallick performed elaborate rituals associated with the ‘Urs’ at the Dargah overflowing with devotees with sandalwood paste brought in big vessels by horsemen with reverence from Kottamitta Kundala Darga to pay homage to 12 warriors who had been killed in a battle with the British troops in the 18th century.
There was no letup in the crowds at Swarnala Cheruvu and Dargah as devotees from all over the State and also neighbouring Tamil Nadu and Karnataka exchanged ‘rotis’ by standing on knee-deep water with a variety of wishes with another set of pilgrims who were on a thanksgiving visit after getting their wishes fulfilled all through the day.
With scores of party activists in toe, the actor exchanged a ‘roti’ with a JSP activist at the VIP Ghat. He spent about 30 minutes at the picturesque Ghat and Dargah. He exhorted the party activists to eschew extravagant spendings on bouquets to welcome him and instead concentrate on building the party at the grassroots-level.
Elaborate arrangements
The officials of the Nellore Municipal Corporation under the leadership of Mayor Abdul Azis made elaborate arrangements for the festival in close coordination with personnel from the Police and the Revenue Departments who heaved a sigh of relief as the main event at the dargah passed off peacefully.
Sanitary workers cleaned the premises round the clock winning appreciation from the pilgrims who offered prayers at the dargah on the banks of picturesque Swarnala Cheruvu.