Devotees throng Puttaparthi for Ekadasi fete

ANANTAPUR: Huge crowds of devotees from Maharashtra thronged Puttaparthi to celebrate the Ashada Suddha Ekadasi, the holy day for Vaishnavas across the country.

This was in addition to the tens of thousands of devotees reaching Pandharpur for the darshan of Lord Purandara Vittal at the Vittoba temple in Maharashtra.

The Ashada Suddha Ekadasi will be celebrated on Thursday. Devotees from Maharashtra have been arriving at Prasanthinilayam. The Satya Sai Central Trust made necessary arrangements for the huge crowds of devotees to take part in Ekadasi celebrations in the Sai Kulwant Hall at MahaSamadhi of Sri Satya Saibaba.

In addition, the historic Lord Panduranga Swamy temple in Bommanahal in the Rayadurg area, which is familiar as a spiritual centre or de-addiction centre for alcohol addicts, also witnessed huge crowds from various parts of AP and Karnataka.

There has been a tradition of de-addiction Tulasi mala being given by the temple priests to such devotees on every holy Ekadasi. These devotees have to take a bath in the nearby canal and wear the Tulasi mala, which is also called ‘de-addiction mala’.

Devotees would have darshan of Panduranga Swamy and wear the mala to escape from their habit of liquor addiction.

During Asada Suddha Ekadasi, huge crowds of devotees reach Bommanhal’s Panduranga Swamy temple.