KURNOOL: The holy town of Srisailam is all set to host the grand month-long Karthika Masam festivities, beginning on October 22 and continuing till November 21, with elaborate arrangements being made by the Srisailam Devasthanam administration. Executive Officer M Srinivasa Rao said the main objective this year is to provide comfortable and hassle-free darshan facilities for all devotees while maintaining the temple's spiritual sanctity and traditional fervour.

Presiding over a high-level review meeting on Tuesday, the EO, along with Deputy Executive Officer Ramanamma, Executive Engineer M Narasimha Reddy, temple priests, and officials from various departments, reviewed preparations for the smooth conduct of the festivities. The discussions covered queue line management, sanitation, drinking water, traffic regulation, parking, medical aid, and public safety.

The EO announced that temple doors will open at 3 am, with darshan timings from 4.30 am to 4 pm and again from 5.30 pm to 10.30 pm daily. To accommodate the expected influx of pilgrims, Garbhalaya and group abhishekams will remain suspended throughout the month. Devotees performing Karthika Deepa rituals will be allotted dedicated spaces at North Mada Street and Gangadhara Mandapam.