‘Giri Pradakshina’ cancelled this year

The annual ‘Giri Pradakshina’ of Sri Varaha Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy temple at Simhachalam has been cancelled this year in view of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Lakhs of devotees circumambulate around the Simhachalam Hill range every year on the auspicious occasion and after completion of the 32-km trek around the hill, they pray to the deity at the temple atop the hill. Many devotees pray at a replica of the deity at the foothill, after the arduous trek, and return home.

This year ‘Giri Pradakshina’ falls on July 4 and Ashada Pournami falls on the next day. The fourth round of sandalwood paste, to cover the idol of the deity, would be applied on June 5.

Executive Officer D. Bhramaramba said on Tuesday, that an estimated five lakh devotees are expected to circumambulate around the hill and about one lakh are expected to have ‘darshan’ atop the hill on the auspicious day.

Both ‘Giri Pradakshina’ and ‘pradakshina around the hilltop temple’ on July 5 have been cancelled in view of the pandemic.

She appealed to the devotees not to participate in the two events and cooperate with the temple authorities in checking the spread of the coronavirus.