State Animal Husbandry, Fisheries, Dairy Development and Cinematography Minister Talasani Srinivas Yadav announced that extensive preparations are underway for the Balkampet Ellamma Ammavari Kalyan Mahotsav, scheduled to take place on June 20. The Minister held a review meeting on Wednesday with officials from various departments to discuss the arrangements for the wedding ceremony of Balkampet Yellamma, which will be held at the Balkampet Yellamma temple.
During the review meeting, the Minister inaugurated a new queue line for devotees at the recently constructed temple. He also initiated the construction work of the Rudraksha mandapam within the temple premises. Minister Srinivas Yadav and the officials performed a special pooja at the shrine. The Minister highlighted that the government has been organising the Ammavari Kalyanam event every year since the formation of Telangana state, following the directives of Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao.
It is estimated that lakhs of devotees from various places will attend the ceremony this year, surpassing the 800,000 attendees of the previous year. To ensure the safety of the large influx of devotees expected for the Kalyanam on the 20th and Rathotsavam on the 21st, sturdy barricades will be installed, and road development work is being carried out in the vicinity of the temple.
Precautions will be taken to prevent any leakage near the temple and arrangements are being made to ensure an uninterrupted water supply. Drinking water will be provided to devotees waiting in queues for darshan. The ceremony of the Goddess will be live-streamed for devotees from different areas, with five LED screens set up around the temple for viewing. The Minister recalled that in the past, the Kalyanam used to take place inside the temple, but since the formation of Telangana state, a large petal shed was constructed in front of the temple to accommodate the increasing number of devotees.
To ensure smooth movement for devotees, traffic diversions will be implemented on the roads leading to the temple. Many organisations will conduct voluntary food donation programmes for devotees, with the government extending necessary support. Special teams will be formed to maintain law and order, and the installation of CCTV cameras is planned. Health camps will be set up in four areas, and ambulances will be made available in collaboration with the medical and health department.
