Simhachalam Temple Giri Pradakshina: Authorities Prepare for Over 5 Lakh Pilgrims
The district administration has made elaborate arrangements for the annual ‘Giri Pradakshina’ (circumambulation) of Sri Varaha Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy at Simhachalam, scheduled for Tuesday. The event is expected to attract more than five lakh devotees, surpassing last year’s turnout of 3.5 lakh.
The Giri Pradakshina will begin early Tuesday from Tholi Pavancha. While devotees start the trek in the morning, footfall typically rises significantly after the ceremonial chariot (ratham) of the presiding deity sets out in the afternoon. Officials anticipate a sharp increase in numbers following the chariot procession.
To manage the massive gathering, around 5,000 government volunteers have been deployed for duties on Tuesday and Wednesday. This includes approximately 2,700 police personnel responsible for security, crowd management, and traffic regulation along the entire route. Personnel from the Revenue, Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC), Health, and Fire Services departments have also been assigned responsibilities.
The GVMC has deployed 3,033 sanitation workers, who began work on Monday. They will operate in seven shifts until Tuesday evening to ensure continuous cleaning, prompt garbage clearance, and maintenance of hygiene. Additionally, 727 toilets—including 157 permanent ones—have been set up along the route.
Extensive traffic restrictions will come into force from Tuesday afternoon to facilitate the movement of devotees. Vehicular movement will be prohibited on the Simhachalam-Hanumanthawaka stretch, the Visakha Valley Junction-Maddilapalem stretch of National Highway-16, and the Kurupam Junction-Jodugullapalem junction route during specified hours.
A total of 28 help centres, jointly managed by the Police and Revenue departments, have been established along the route to provide information, emergency response, and other essential services. A Command & Control Centre (CCC) has been set up at Tholi Pavancha, led by senior police officials, to monitor the ritual.
Drinking water arrangements include 17,000 water cans of 20-litre capacity each placed at 114 points across the route. As an additional safety measure, swimmers have been deployed at Appughar and Jodugullapalem beaches, where devotees take a holy dip. The civic body has also installed around 50 shower units for men and women separately.
The administration has ensured street lighting, medical camps, ambulances, CCTV surveillance, and public announcement systems at strategic locations to support the large number of pilgrims.
