The stage is all set for the ‘Rottela Panduga’ at Bara Shaheed Dargah in Nellore district. Devotees from across the country and abroad will flock to Swarnala Cheruvu to exchange ‘rotis’ on the bank of the lake in fulfilment of their vows and prayers.

Ahead of the five-day festival, Nellore Rural MLA Kotamreddy Sridhar Reddy inaugurated the boat ride service at Boating Club located near Bara Shahid Dargah on Thursday evening. Andhra Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (APTDC) Chairman Nookasani Balaji also attended the event and announced his plans to make this site a major tourist destination.

Swarnala Cheruvu has taken on a vibrant new look. With the arrival of devotees, the Dargah premises will bustle with activity and spiritual fervour.

‘Rottela Panduga’ starts with ‘Sandhal Mall’ or ‘Sandal Maali’, a holy ritual of cleaning the martyrs’ tombs at Bara Shaheed Dargah, on Friday (June 26) and the festival will conclude with a series of events, including sandal procession on Saturday, the main festival on Sunday, ‘Tahlil Fatiha’ (a prayer service dedicated to 12 martyrs) on Monday, and finally the closing ceremony on Tuesday.

Under the directives of State Municipal Administration and Urban Development (MA&UD) Minister Ponguru Narayana and the supervision of Collector Himanshu Shukla, the district administration has finalised all arrangements to ensure a hassle-free experience for the devotees.

Municipal Commissioner Y.O. Nandan deployed over 6,000 sanitation personnel to work in three shifts. Special measures were implemented to ensure the immediate removal of any litter or waste from the Dargah’s vicinity. Additionally, drinking water stations were set up within the Dargah premises to provide safe water to devotees and mobile toilet facilities were made available.

Superintendent of Police (SP) Ajitha Vejendla announced that a total of 1,600 police personnel were deployed for security duties. Arrangements have been made for continuous monitoring via CCTV cameras and drones across the Dargah premises and parking areas. A control room has been set up to ensure the entire Dargah area remains under police surveillance.

Andhra Pradesh Southern Power Distribution Company (APSPDCL) district Superintending Engineer K. Raghavendran stated that 10 special transformers have been installed to ensure continuous power supply. Measures have been taken to ensure staff remain constantly vigilant through a shift-based system.

Under the supervision of Fisheries department Joint Director Chand Basha, fool-proof arrangements have been made to prevent any untoward incidents at Swarnala Cheruvu, where devotees take the holy dips. A total of 45 expert swimmers have been deployed across three shifts, with 15 swimmers and 15 boats assigned to each shift.

District Fire Officer V. Srinivas Rao informed that 125 fire service personnel have been specially deployed from Prakasam, Bapatla, Palnadu, Annamayya, Tirupati, and Kadapa districts. The deployment includes four fire tenders, two rescue boats, a mist bullet, and a special team equipped with 40 fire-extinguishing units. Additionally, 10 cleaning pumps were installed to clean ghat area.