Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh) [India], April 23 : President of Visakha Sarada Peetham Swaroopanandendra Saraswati on Sunday criticised the arrangements made for the Chandanotsvam festival and said he had never seen such miserable arrangements.
The annual Chandanotsavam of Sri Varaha Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy on Simhachalam Hill had begun amid gaiety and religious fervour in the early hours of Sunday.
The Lord Narasimha Swamy deity is covered with sandalwood paste for the entire year except for today. Only today lord Narasimha swami's real deity is visible. That is why every year on Akshaya Tritiya, the festival is celebrated which is called Chandanotsvam.
Talking to , Swaroopanandendra said, "I have never seen such miserable arrangements in my life. The government has failed in making arrangements for the public."
Swarupanandendra expressed his displeasure over the arrangements of Chandanotsavam on Simhachalam Hill.
He said, "I've attended such a Chandanotsavam for the first time in my life. The arrangements were not proper except that the police were placed in groups. There is no one to answer even though it is crowded from the bottom of the hill to the top."
"Tears came after seeing the plight of the devotees. The divine vision caused pain in the midst of the devotees' troubles," he added.
Earlier in the day, Subba Reddy told that the deity is covered in sandalwood throughout the year and only on Vaisakhi Suddha Tadiya (Akshaya Tritiya) Nijarupa darshan of the deity is allowed. After the conclusion of the daily rituals on Saturday temple priests removed the sandalwood paste.
Commissioner of Police Trivikram Varma told to , "As many as 2,100 police personnel were deployed to oversee law and order and traffic arrangements. Parking slots for private vehicles at Simhachalam foothill eased the congestion on top of the hill. Due to the low parking place on the hill, Only VVIP vehicles were allowed except people coming on RTC free buses."
"Apart from the devasthanam, several NGOs and voluntary orgsations distributed buttermilk and jaggery water to devotees standing in queue lines. As of now, 25000 people were had darshanam by 9 am. We are expecting more than 1.2 to 1.4 lakh devotees to Lord Narasimha Swamy. "said Trivikram Varma".
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