No big congregation allowed during annual fest at revered Mutyalamma temple

Nellore: Coronavirus scare has prompted the management of revered Mutyalamma temple in Chillakur Mandal to request the people not to attend the annual four-day Jathara (fest) which started on Tuesday.

Mutyalamma temple is having a 100-year-old history and has been organizing the festival for many decades in which normally 3-4 lakh people visit from various parts of Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and Karnataka.

For the first time in its history, the temple hereditary management is allowing people from neighboring five villages to attend the festival.

Huge police forces have been deployed for monitoring the situation at the temple. Devotees from the five villages of the Panchayat are only allowed to enter the temple.

APSRTC also canceled special trips to the village for witnessing the festival. As part of protective measures, around 2,000 face masks were supplied to the police personnel, temple management personnel, volunteers and other villagers.

The fest starts on Tuesday before every Telugu New Year and concludes on the next Friday. Built by Simhadri Ramalingayya Setty during the regime of Venkatagiri Rajahs in 1918, the AP Endowments Department is managing the temple.