Free Sparsha Darshan began at Sri Bhramaramba Mallikarjuna Swamy temple at Srisailam on Thursday. Devotees will get a chance to touch the Siva Linga in the sanctum sanctorum till March 30.
On normal days, devotees with special tickets only are allowed to enter the sanctum sanctorum. Currently, the free Sparsha Darshan is taking between 4 and 5 hours. A quicker darshan is possible for those who buy ₹500 ticket.
All arjitha sevas conducted on a daily basis have been suspended for one week.
Meanwhile, after a hundi count conducted on Wednesday, the temple authorities said devotees had donated ̥₹2.79 crore in cash, 163.9 gram of gold and 5.150 kg of silver from March 5 to 22.