Patala Ganga sees huge swarm of devotees for holy dip

ANANTAPUR: The spiritually charged Patala Ganga Lake is a major water source for the Nallamala forests. The beauty of this water source adds to the charms of the Srisailam Temple.

River Krishna flows near the Srisailam hills. Patala Ganga forms the backwaters of the river. Huge swarms of devotees take a holy dip in the waters of Patala Ganga prior to having the darshan at Lord Mallikarjuna Swamy and Goddess Bramarambika temple during the Maha Shivaratri Brahmotsavam.

According to the Puranas, there are three tributaries of the river -- Gana Swarga Ganga (Mandakini), Bhoo Ganga (Bhagirathi) and Patala Ganga (Bhagvati). Patala Ganga has been mentioned in Vedic texts and a holy dip in the river is considered spiritually beneficial to the faithful.

The Patala Ganga area is witnessing huge crowds of devotees round-the-clock for the past four days of the Brahmotsavam.

While a ropeway is available for movement, the devotees have to wait a long time for access to the temple. They can also reach the shrine by climbing down around 500 steps from the Hanuman Temple of Srisailam.

Most of the expected eight lakh devotees visiting the temple for the Maha Shivaratri festival take a dip in Patala Ganga. The Srisailam temple authorities along with the Nandyal district administration fixed a particular area for the dips in order to avoid mishaps. At least 240 expert swimmers along with puttis (small boats) have been deployed at the spot.

Sprinklers are set up for the holy dip in view of the low water level in Patala Ganga. Dressing rooms have been provided for women devotees, EO S Lavanna said.

The Shiva Deeksha devotees are accommodated at the Chandravathi Kalyana Mandapam. They are provided with anna prasadam, breakfast and milk till the time they enter the queue lines for darshan. Trust chairman Reddivari Chakrapani Reddy visited the kalyana mandapam and interacted with the devotees over their comfort levels.