Thousands take holy dip on Kartheeka Somavaram in Vijayawada

Women lighting lamps on the Krishna riverbank on the occasion of Kartheeka Somavaram in Vijayawada on Monday.
| Photo Credit: G.N. Rao

Thousands of devotees took holy dips in the sea and the Krishna and Godavari rivers near Vijayawada on Monday, the first Kartheeka Somavaram day.

Special prayers and abhishekams were performed in the city’s Shivalayams, which were decked up for the Kartheeka Masam festivities and reverberated with the chants of ‘Om Nama Shivaya’.

Women light lamps in Old Shivalayam on the occasion of Kartheeka Somavaram in Vijayawada on Monday.
| Photo Credit:
G.N. Rao

Since dawn, all Shiva temples in Krishna, Eluru, and NTR districts have been crowded. The Endowments Department officials made elaborate arrangements for Kartheeka Masam.

Special pujas were performed at Patha Shivalayam in One Town, Sri Parvathi Sametha Ramalingeswara Swamy Devastanam at Yenamalakuduru, Sri Durga Malleswara Swamy Devastanam and other temples.

The police made elaborate security arrangements for the Kartheeka Somavaram on the river and canal bunds.

“Volunteers have been deployed along Krishna river bund, and the marine police kept on alert as a precautionary measure,” said Krishna District Superintendent of Police R. Gangadhar Rao.

The NTR Commissionerate police arranged security at Durga Ghat, Seetammavari Padalu, Seetanagaram and other ghats along Krishna river, the police said.