Srisailam's month-long Karthika festival begins Tuesday; garbhalaya and group abhishekams suspended on crowded days

SRISAILAM: The Karthika Masotsavam at the Sri Bhramaramba Mallikarjuna Swamy temple in Srisailam begins on Tuesday, November 10, and runs until December 9. The temple expects lakhs of devotees through the month and has changed some paid sevas so that general darshan moves faster.

Changes to sevas

• The ₹5,000 garbhalaya abhishekam and ₹1,500 group (samuhika) abhishekam are suspended on crowded days.
• Tickets for the Udayastamana, Pratahkala and Pradoshakala sevas are temporarily halted.
• The ₹1,000 kumkumarchana in the Ammavari antharalayam moves to the Ashirvachana Mandapam on crowded days.
• Arjitha homams and the daily kalyanotsavam continue as scheduled.

Booking

Tickets for November's arjitha sevas and sparsha darshan are online. Eighty per cent of the quota is booked through the state's Manamitra WhatsApp number, 95523 00009, and 20% through the temple's official portal. Bookings are open until an hour before darshan, subject to availability, said Executive Officer M. Srinivasa Rao.