MA&UD Minister Ponguru Narayana, Ongole MP Magunta Sreenivasulu, and A.P. Waqf Board Chairman Abdul Aziz offering prayers on day one of the Rottela Panduga at Bara Shaheed Dargah in Nellore on Friday.
| Photo Credit: BY ARRANGEMENT
Rottela Panduga, one of the State festivals, began on a grand note at Bara Shaheed Dargah in SPSR Nellore district on Friday (June 26, 2026). Municipal Administration and Urban Development (MA&UD) Minister Ponguru Narayana, Ongole MP Magunta Srinivasulu, A.P. State Wakf Board Chairman Abdul Aziz, District Collector Himanshu Shukla, and Superintendent of Police Dr. Ajitha Vejendla jointly inspected the arrangements on the first day of the five-day annual festival.Speaking to the media, Mr. Narayana said, “The number of devotees attending Rottela Panduga at the 412-year-old Bara Shaheed Dargah is increasing every year. Only four lakh devotees visited in 2014 when the facilities here were inadequate. Since then, significant developments and infrastructure upgrades have been completed during the regime of the Telugu Desam Party (TDP).”He stated that approximately 15 lakh devotees are expected to visit this year. “The State government is transforming the Dargah premises as a major tourist attraction. Recognising the immense faith with which devotees arrive from across the country and abroad, we have placed special emphasis on ensuring the cleanliness of Swarnala Cheruvu,” the Minister said.
