Hundreds throng Bara Shaheed Dargah as Roti Festival kicks off

NELLORE: Bara Shaheed Dargah in the city is said to have hosted scores of devotees from across the State on the first day of five-day Roti Festival on Tuesday. The event, being held with public participation after a gap of two years, commenced on a grand note with ‘shahadat’.According to sources, nearly 15,000 devotees offered prayers at the dargah a day before on Monday.

Agriculture Minister Kakani Govardhan Reddy and Nellore rural MLA Kotamreddy Sridhar Reddy said elaborate arrangements were in place at Swarnala tank, where devotees exchange roti as part of the ritual. “Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has sanctioned `15 crore for the development of dargah in view of the prominence of the Roti Festival,” they added.  

“A police control room and other safety measures have been put in place. Civic officials are ensuring hygiene on the tank and dargah premises,” they said. “I and my family visited the dargah on Monday after two years and exchanged rotis with other devotees. I received ‘Arogya’ roti in 2018 when I was sick. Now, my health condition is good,” said V Sudha Rani from Udayagiri.