Warangal: The Komuravelli Mallanna Jatara officially began on Sunday with grand festivities at the Sri Mallikarjuna Swamy Temple in Cherial, Jangaon constituency, marking the first Sunday after Sankranti, locally known as ‘Patnam Varam’. The 12-week-long Jatara will continue until the Sunday preceding the Ugadi festival, attracting thousands of devotees eager to participate in the religious celebrations.
Devotees started arriving as early as Saturday night, with a big influx on the first day from various parts of Telangana, including surrounding villages and Hyderabad. Upon arrival, devotees proceed directly to the temple to perform the ‘Dhooli Darshanam’ ritual without prior purification, followed by placing ‘Odibiyyam’ at the temple. They stay overnight at the temple, and the next morning, conduct ritual baths and offer ‘Bonalu’ and ‘Patnalu’. Subsequently, they visit the hilltop shrine of Mallanna’s sister, Yellamma, to offer Bonalu, believing these rituals will fulfil their wishes and desires.
Key events during the Jatara include the Sri Mallikarjuna Swamy Kalyanam, Patnam Varam (first Sunday), and Lakshkar Varam. Additionally, on Mahashivaratri, significant rituals such as ‘Peddapatnam’ and ‘Agnigundalu’ are performed. These sacred practices are integral to the Jatara, allowing devotees to express gratitude and fulfil vows through symbolic offerings to Lord Mallanna.
To accommodate the large number of participants, temple authorities have organised special queue lines categorised into VIP darshan, quick darshan, and general darshan. Temporary shelters, drinking water stations, toilet facilities, separate bathing areas for women, and ample vehicle parking have been set up.
Ensuring the safety and security of the devotees, the police have implemented tight security measures. This includes the installation of 80 CCTV cameras around the temple premises and deploying additional personnel, including two DSPs, four ACPs, 14 CIs, 28 SIS members, and 510 police officers.
