Festival draws attendees who are not religiously affiliated.
On Thursday, the well-known “Rottela Panduga”—the Urs at the tombs of the 12 martyrs in the Nellore Bara Shaheed Dargah—started.
The yearly “Festival of Bread,” which draws large crowds of people from all religious backgrounds and is known as “Rotiyon Ki Eid” in Urdu, will run until Sunday, July 21.
There are numerous decorations and brilliant lights throughout the entire space. The Panduga is a state event celebrated by the government of Andhra Pradesh.
The celebrations started early on Wednesday morning when the 12 tombs were sprayed with sandalwood water by dargah mujavars. After then, worshippers could offer their prayers at the tombs. As worshipers awaited their time to pray, long lines developed.
Additionally, devotees rushed to the Swarnala Cheruvu, where they made prayers and took part in the unusual custom of passing around flatbread rotis. The premise that this fulfills one’s desires—from marriage to having children to a job—is the foundation of the practice.
About 20 lakh devotees from the two Telugu states and beyond are expected to attend the Bara Shaheed Dargah, according to authorities.
District collector O. Anand declared, “We have taken all necessary steps to ensure the roti festival is conducted smoothly.” The dargah has been split up into seven zones. Twenty garbage trucks and 5,885 employees will be working nonstop to clean the facility. The collector said that facilities for women and men to use separate drinking water and to let have been set up, in addition to ambulances and health centers for emergencies.
According to SP G. Krishna Kanth, 2,000 police officers have been sent to guard the main dargah and ghat area. Parking lots have been designated to prevent traffic jams.
“With 52 CCTV cameras and drones, the entire area will be under 24-hour surveillance,” Krishna Kanth said. Teams trained in fire safety and disaster response are prepared for any situation.
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