Lakhs of pilgrims thronged the ‘Swarnala Cheruvu‘ to exchange rotis on the second day of ‘Rotella Panduga’ in Nellore on July 30 (Sunday).
Devotees who came from all over the Telugu-speaking States of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana and elsewhere in the country and abroad made wishes.
It was the wife of Arcot Nawab who started the ritual of exchanging rotis after she got cured of severe illness. Since then, people with a long list of wishes keep flocking the Bara Shaheed Dargah. They exchange rotis on fulfilment of their wishes with those who come for the first time with similar wishes. The most common wishes include success in business, recovery from illness, good job, marriage and children.
Meanwhile, the Muzaveers made elaborate arrangements for the ‘Gandh Mahotsavam’ by preparing sandalwood paste in huge pots. Those will be brought from the Kottamitta Kundala Dargah for the special rituals associated with the annual Urs in memory of the 12 warriors who had sacrificed their lives in a battle with the British troops in the 18th Century.
As a thanksgiving gesture following fulfilment of a wish, a devotee exchanges a roti with another devotee, who makes his own wish at the dargah.
‘’I have been visiting the dargah for the last 10 years,’‘ said Pavitra before exchanging a roti to beget a child. I got married only after visiting the dargah, she added.
Prakash, a youth from Hyderabad, said ‘‘I came here for the first time after my friend’s wish of getting a good job in the U.S.A. was fulfilled after his visit to the dargah.’‘
The Swarnala Chervuvu and the dargah are under CCTV surveillance and a command control centre has been set up under the overall supervision by Superintendent of Police K. Tirumaleswara Reddy.
As many as 33 children were reunited with their parents by 60 teams of police personnel and volunteers. Fifty senior citizens who went missing were reunited with their families. Two pickpockets were nabbed by the police.
Nellore Rural MLA Kotamreddy Sridhar Reddy arranged a fleet of autorickshaws for the transportation of pilgrims to the dargah free of cost.
