Home Minister Reviews Simhachalam Chandanotsavam Arrangements

With lakhs of devotees expected for the annual Chandanotsavam festival at the Simhachalam Temple, Andhra Pradesh Home Minister Vangalapudi Anitha on Sunday conducted a detailed inspection of arrangements on Simhagiri hill.

The Minister reviewed crowd management plans, infrastructure readiness, parking systems, and security deployment, and issued strict directions to ensure smooth and hassle-free darshan for devotees.

Officials were asked to stay on high alert to prevent traffic congestion, while NDRF and SDRF teams have been placed on standby as part of emergency preparedness measures.

Senior officials, including Endowments Commissioner Ramachandra Mohan, Temple EO Venkata Rao, and DCP-2 Mary Prasanthi, briefed the Minister on the arrangements. They informed her that a dedicated command control room will monitor the event round the clock through CCTV cameras, supported by AI-based surveillance systems.

Authorities have prioritized darshan for general devotees. While last year’s festival saw around 1.2 lakh visitors, this year the turnout is expected to nearly double, with estimates reaching two lakh devotees.

Darshan will begin early at 3 a.m. on festival day. To manage the large crowds, medical camps, drinking water stations, and buttermilk distribution points have been set up across multiple locations for devotees’ convenience.