Rottela Panduga, one of the State festivals, began on a grand note at Bara Shaheed Dargah in SPSR Nellore district on Friday (June 26, 2026). Municipal Administration and Urban Development (MA&UD) Minister Ponguru Narayana, Ongole MP Magunta Srinivasulu, A.P. State Wakf Board Chairman Abdul Aziz, District Collector Himanshu Shukla, and Superintendent of Police Dr. Ajitha Vejendla jointly inspected the arrangements on the first day of the five-day annual festival.

Speaking to the media, Mr. Narayana said, “The number of devotees attending Rottela Panduga at the 412-year-old Bara Shaheed Dargah is increasing every year. Only four lakh devotees visited in 2014 when the facilities here were inadequate. Since then, significant developments and infrastructure upgrades have been completed during the regime of the Telugu Desam Party (TDP).”

He stated that approximately 15 lakh devotees are expected to visit this year. “The State government is transforming the Dargah premises as a major tourist attraction. Recognising the immense faith with which devotees arrive from across the country and abroad, we have placed special emphasis on ensuring the cleanliness of Swarnala Cheruvu,” the Minister said.

The special arrangements include the deployment of 6,315 sanitation staff members, 1,870 police personnel, 45 expert swimmers, and eight boats for rides. “Free medical camps have been set up for the convenience of the devotees,” he said, adding that these arrangements would continue for another five days even after the conclusion of the five-day festival, as devotees keep coming here.

MP Srinivasulu said, “I have been participating in the Rotela Panduga festival for the past 50 years. Following Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu’s directives in 2014, Minister Narayana initiated the development of the Dargah. It is heartening to see it being developed into a tourist destination. I urge that Swarnala Cheruvu be transformed into the ‘Tank Bund’ in Hyderabad of Telangana.”

Mr. Abdul Aziz said, “The festival of Rotis is celebrated as a symbol of religious harmony, transcending caste and religious barriers. The celebration has differed before and after 2014, with the event becoming grander in the post-2014 period. Initiatives for the Dargah’s development were launched during the previous tenure of Mr. Narayana as Minister and during my time as Mayor.”

“With the Minister’s cooperation, we constructed ghats, installed toilets and showers, and built cement roads and shelters. Comprehensive arrangements were made to ensure that devotees faced no inconvenience, and surveillance was enhanced through the use of CCTV cameras and drones,” he added.