2,300 police personnel have been deployed to ensure smooth functioning of the festival

■ Helicopter rides are an added attraction this year

■ Cultural programmes will be held at the Government Degree (Arts) College grounds from 5 pm to 10 pm

■ Folk art forms like “kolatam”, “thappetagulu” and thimsa dance to be performed

■ State government declaring Ratha Saptami as the state festival

Metro India News | srikakulam

The run up to Ratha Saptami began on Sunday at the Sri Suryanarayana Swamy temple with much fanfare. Devotees made a bee-line to the temple since the early hours to pay obeisance to the deity. In the wake of the state government declaring Ratha Saptami as the state festival, the authorities have made arrangements for a three-day celebrations.

Srikalulam town was decked up to the T and helicopter rides are an added attraction this year.  Arasavalli is a famous pilgrimage site. Decked up for Ratha Saptami celebrations, the authorities have made arrangements to organise programmes on the 2nd, 3rd and 4th of this month to reflect the culture and traditions of spirituality. Cultural and spiritual programmes will be held. The celebrations began at 6 am on the 80-feet road with mass Surya Namaskars.

The rural sports competitions will begin at 10 am on Sunday at the NTR Municipal School ground. Folk art forms like “kolatam”, “thappetagulu” and thimsa dance will be performed. Cultural programmes will be held at the Government Degree (Arts) College grounds from 5 pm to 10 pm. Aarohi School of Music, Tumpala Easwar, Yamini Krishna, Parimala, Anuradha and Lakshmi Ganapathi Sharma will entertain the audience with their performances.

There will be a helicopter ride from 9 am to 4 pm for three days at the Dutch Building near the Collectorate. Food courts have been made available on the arts college ground itself. Parking and toilets have been provided at the Kodiramamurthy Stadium. Collector Swapnil Dinkar Pundkar inspected the arrangements for the Ratha Saptami celebrations.

He held discussions with JC Farman Ahmed Khan and DSP Vivekananda and made several suggestions on the arrangements. He reviewed the arrangements for Surya Namaskars on the 80-feet road, beautification works at the mill junction, stalls in Arts College, cultural programmes and sports related to the games to be held at NTR MH School ground. 2,300 police personnel have been deployed to ensure smooth functioning of the festival.