Scores of devotees' witness ‘nijarupa' darshan
Visakhapatnam: Despite rain, scores of devotees witnessed 'nijarupa' darshan on the annual festival of 'Chandanotsavam' organised at Simhachalam Devasthanam in Visakhapatnam on Wednesday.
The temple priests performed special puja in the wee hours of the day and Hereditary Trustee of the Devasthanam P. Ashok Gajapathi Raju along with his family members viewed the first darshan of the 'nijarupa' of the presiding deity. On behalf of the state government, Revenue Minister Anagani Satya Prasad offered silken robes to Lord Sri Varaha Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy on the occasion. The darshan for common devotees began soon after the first darshan witnessed by the Hereditary Trustee of the Devasthanam.
In a while, rains coupled with gales caused inconvenience to the devotees who came in droves to witness the 'real avatar' of the Simhachalam deity. Seeking shelter, devotees went in search of shaded areas to protect themselves from getting drenched.
Meanwhile, a part of the wall at Rs.300 queue line gave away at the Devasthanam, killing seven persons and injuring a few others.
With the Rs.300 queue line getting merged with other queue lines following the incident, the darshan got inordinately delayed for the devotees. In the evening, rain again caused inconvenience to the devotees at Simhachalam. Despite the issues, the devotees continued to converge at Simhachalam to view the 'nijarupa' darshan of the Lord Sri Varaha Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy.
The free transport facility turned out to be inadequate for scores of devotees who thronged the temple on Chandanotsavam day.
At a time when rescue operations were going on in full swing following the death of seven devotees due to the wall collapse, the protocol darshan, however, continued unhindered. Following which, the officials had a tough time in providing security for the VVIPs' darshan and monitoring the rescue operation simultaneously. Several devotees expressed ire over how the protocol darshan continued at Simhachalam without any deviation despite the tragic incident that took place for the first time at the shrine. The devotees who entered the queue lines by 7 pm were allowed to witness 'nijarupa' darshan that lasted till night.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Indian Express
37 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Pilot to replace paddy with water-saving kharif maize ‘too little, too late': experts
A pilot project launched by the Punjab government to encourage farmers in six districts to shift from water-intensive paddy to kharif maize to address groundwater depletion and promote crop diversification has drawn flak from experts. Criticising the initiative, experts say the pilot covers too limited an area compared to the vast expanse under paddy cultivation in the state. They said the government should have aimed for at least 50,000 hectares for the pilot project. Additionally, they pointed out the project should have been launched in the first year of the AAP government's tenure, considering crop diversification is neither a new concept for Punjab nor any party in power. The six districts under the initiative are Jalandhar, Kapurthala, Bathinda, Sangrur, Pathankot and Gurdaspur. Under this scheme, farmers who divert their land from paddy to kharif maize will get an incentive of Rs 17,500 per hectare (approximately Rs 7,08,5 per acre) as the government aims to divert around 12,000 hectares (29,640 acres) under paddy to maize cultivation in the current kharif season. Kharif maize, sown during the monsoon season, alongside paddy, relies primarily on rainfall and needs 3-5 times irrigation compared to 22-30 cycles by paddy. Experts term this shift 'critical' as Punjab's groundwater resources have been under relentless stress due to decades of intensive paddy farming but are sceptical about the scale and timing of the initiative. 'This pilot is not even a baby step,' said a senior agricultural scientist at Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), Ludhiana. 'With over 32 lakh hectares under rice cultivation in Punjab, diversifying just 12,000 hectares is negligible. The state should have aimed to cover at least 50,000 hectares and included, besides six districts, all other districts where maize is grown, such as Hoshiarpur, Roopnagar, SAS Nagar (Mohali), Ludhiana, Fatehgarh Sahib, Amritsar and Patiala.' Maize is widely used in animal feed, starch production, ethanol, silage (a fermented feed for livestock) and food products like cornflakes and baby corn. Kharif maize has the potential to meet Punjab's demand. Over 90 per cent of corn cereal is currently imported to Punjab from other states. Experts emphasise that establishing ethanol production units in Punjab is crucial to boosting local maize consumption. With the government now permitting ethanol blending with vehicle fuel, maize presents significant potential as a future-oriented crop, both economically and environmentally, enhancing farmers' financial conditions. Punjab once had a thriving maize cultivation, covering 5.77 lakh hectares in 1975-76, but the area steadily declined due to the paddy dominance and was reduced to just around 80,000 hectares by 2024-25. Experts point out that though maize is grown in districts like Hoshiarpur, Roopnagar, Ludhiana and Patiala, its growth remained stagnant. The area under cultivation is between 1.05 and 1.3 lakh hectares over the past two decades, with a worrying dip to just 80,000 hectares last year and around 95,000 hectares in 2023-24. Incentives and infra gaps Dr Hanuman Sahay Jat, Director of Indian Institute of Maize Research (IIMR), PAU, highlighted the need for broader policy support. 'Farmers will go for kharif maize if they get more or on par with the yield per acre of paddy. Kharif maize has high-yielding hybrid seeds, but unless Punjab starts developing and distributing its own high-quality seeds, farmers will be dependent on costly private suppliers from other states,' he said. Dr Jat also emphasised the urgent need for maize processing infrastructure, particularly grain dryers, and a reliable Minimum Support Price (MSP) mechanism to protect farmers against market volatility. Despite the state's high productivity—15 to 20 per cent above the national average — Punjab doesn't feature among the top 10 maize-producing states in the country. A group of experts argue that the continued provision of free electricity for paddy irrigation is a key barrier to diversification. 'If the government withdraws free power for tubewells, farmers will shift to alternative crops like maize within a year,' said a senior scientist at PAU. 'Although the Punjab government's pilot project acknowledges the urgent need for crop diversification, it falls short in ambition and scale. Without a long-term and comprehensive strategy, Punjab's dream of sustainable agriculture may continue to remain just that— a dream,' said a senior scientist at PAU. As the sowing window for kharif maize continues through June, Punjab records 17,000 hectares under it.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Chhattisgarh Pre DElEd, Pre BEd answer keys 2025 released: Check direct links to download here
CG Pre DElEd and Pre BEd answer key 2025 : The Chhattisgarh Professional Examination Board (CG Vyapam) has officially released the provisional answer keys for the Pre (Diploma in Elementary Education) and Pre (Bachelor of Education) entrance examinations. Candidates who appeared for these critical teacher training entrance exams can now download and verify their responses by visiting the official portal at The Pre examination was held on May 22, 2025, from 10:00 AM to 12:15 PM, with the Pre was conducted on the same day. The release of the model answer keys is a significant step towards transparency and accuracy in the evaluation process. Candidates dissatisfied with any of the provided answers have the opportunity to raise objections until 3:00 PM on June 17, 2025. A fee of Rs. 50 per objection is applicable. To lodge an objection, candidates must log in using their registered mobile number and password on the official website. CG Pre & Pre answer keys 2025: Steps to download Candidates can follow the steps mentioned here to download the CG Pre DElEd and Pre BEd answer keys: Visit the official website at Navigate to the 'Latest Updates' or 'Answer Key' section on the homepage. Click on the appropriate link for either Pre or Pre answer key. Download the answer key PDF file to review and compare your responses. Alternatively, candidates can click on the link provided here to download the CG Pre & answer key 2025. Aspirants can click on the link provided here to access the Pre CG BEd answer key 2025. Candidates are advised to keep in touch with the official site to get the latest updates about the examination. Is your child ready for the careers of tomorrow? Enroll now and take advantage of our early bird offer! Spaces are limited.
New Indian Express
4 hours ago
- New Indian Express
Rs 20 crore allotted for Bonalu festival; to start on June 26
HYDERABAD: The government has allocated Rs 20 crore for the conduct of the Ashada Bonalu festival, which will kickstart on June 26 and culminate on July 24. Ministers Ponnam Prabhakar and Konda Surekha have instructed officials to organise the festivities in a grand manner. Chairing a review meeting on the festival arrangements, the ministers said the state government would offer silk robes at the Balkampet Sri Yellamma Pochamma temple on July 1. The Hyderabad district in-charge minister said silk robes will be presented to 28 major Mahankali temples. An elephant procession accompanied by Ghatams will commence from Ujjaini Mahankali temple on July 14, followed by Nalla Pochamma Devasthanam Sabji Mandi on July 20 and Akkanna Madanna Devasthanam on July 21.
