Hyderabad: Irrigation minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy on Monday participated in the Peddagattu Jatara at Durajpally in Suryapet district. He offered prayers at the Lingamanthula Swamy temple and also took part in the religious rituals.
The Peddagattu Jatara, also known as Gollagattu Jatara, is Telangana‘s second-largest religious congregation after the Medaram Sammakka-Saralamma Jatara. Held once every two years, this five-day festival is of great spiritual significance, particularly for the Yadava community, which worships Lingamantula Swamy as their deity. This year, the Jatara began on Feb 16 and will conclude on Feb 20.
Later, Uttam inspected various facilities, including drinking water supply, sanitation, power supply, medical assistance, and security arrangements. The state govt has allocated 5 crore for the festival’s arrangements, ensuring devotees do not face any hardships.
He directed officials to closely monitor the influx of devotees and ensure the smooth functioning of amenities such as temporary shelters, medical camps, and queue management systems. “Lakhs of devotees are visiting the Jatara, and it is our responsibility to ensure they have a safe and comfortable experience,” he said.
Traffic management was a key focus during his review. With an estimated 30 lakh devotees expected, authorities have implemented traffic diversions on the Hyderabad-Vijayawada National Highway to prevent congestion. Additional police personnel and surveillance cameras have been deployed for crowd control.
