Vijayawada: The three-day annual festival of Virgin Mary Mata would be launched from Sunday at the famous shrine of Gunadala, informed Bishop of Vijayawada Diocese Telagatoti Joseph Raja Rao.
The hundred-year-old Grotto housing Our Lady of Lourdes atop Gunadala Hill here has been attracting the devotees from several neighbouring states for decades.
Addressing the media here on Friday, Bishop Raja Rao said every year more and more devotees are visiting the famous shrine and this year it is expected that at least one million would visit.
The Mother Mary would be taken out on a procession on Sunday on the principal streets of Gunadala, the Bishop said. Referring to the tonsuring, coconut offerings at the Grotto, the Bishop said that there was no wrong in it. “Even Palestinians and Israelis also offer hair to the God,” he said.
Monsignor Muvvala Prasad, Vicar General Fr M Gabriel, Rector Fr Yeleti William Jayaraju, Social Service Centre executive director Fr Thota Sunil Raju, Fr Pasala Thomas, Fr PK Joseph and others participated.
