No protocol darshan for Chandanotsavam at Simhachalam this year due to election code

Chandanotsavam festival at Simhachalam temple in Visakhapatnam altered due to Model Code of Conduct for elections.

There will be no protocol darshan for the annual festival of Chandanotsavam at the Sri Varaha Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy temple at Simhachalam this year owing to the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) for the general elections, District Collector A. Mallikarjuna said on Thursday.

The festival is scheduled to be organised on May 10, just three days ahead of election day in Andhra Pradesh. The Collector has instructed district officials to ensure that the code of conduct is enforced diligently, and to dispense with political protocols during the event.

“From 3.30 a.m. to 4.30 a.m., darshan will be availed by ‘Anuvamshika Dharmakarthas’, while ‘Pattu Vastras’ will be offered by the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD). Judges of the Supreme Court and High Court and donors will avail darshan during this time. After 4.30 a.m., there will not be any darshan in the ‘antharalayam’,” Mr. Mallikarjuna said at a review meeting attended by senior officials of the Police, GVMC Fire, APSRTC, and EPDCL departments.

Mr. Mallikarjuna directed the departments to make elaborate arrangements for the festival and to ensure that devotees are not inconvenienced. He instructed the Endowments Department to sell the festival tickets at banks across the city and to complete the procedure by May 6.

The darshan tickets will be priced at ₹300, ₹1,000 and ₹1,500, and should carry a hologram and watermark, he said, adding that those purchasing the ₹1,500 tickets will be allowed to have darshan from the ‘Neeladri Gummam’.

The 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. slot will be given to physically-challenged devotees, the Collector said.

“Keeping in view past experiences, the number of vehicles allowed atop the hillock should be considerably reduced. Police officials must come up with a detailed route map and ensure that there are no parking hassles,” the Collector said, advising the police department to arrange a control room and issue vehicle passes.