The ‘Giri Pradakshina’ festival of the Sri Varaha Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy temple witnessed a massive turnout of devotees this year, with people from across Uttarandhra region participating in the circumambulation of the Simhachalam Hill on July 9 and 10.

The Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) officials, who used AI-based tools to estimate the crowd, said that by 1:30 a.m. on Thursday, approximately 3.20 lakh devotees participated in the pilgrimage.

The Simhachalam Devasthanam officials and the police said that the crowd surged in the evening on Wednesday. Many began their journey around 8 p.m. from Tholi Pavancha, with the traditional coconut-breaking ritual.

Devotees walked through the night along the city lanes, aiming to return to Simhachalam by Thursday morning. While some completed the 32-km trek in 10 to 12 hours, others took longer. The devotees were seen resting along the footpaths, taking brief breaks during the 32-km trek.

Vehicular traffic flow was severely affected, particularly on the stretch from Hanumanthawaka Junction to Maddilapalem, late Wednesday night. Vehicles were stuck in long queues, moving at a snail’s pace, with the devotees occupying the road. Some citizens complained that they had not seen such heavy congestion in recent times.

The police worked tirelessly through the night to manage the crowd and regulate traffic flow, continuing their efforts until early Thursday morning.

Sanitation workers played a crucial role in maintaining hygiene after the religious event. Heaps of garbage piled up in colonies. Cleanliness activities began in the early hours, with garbage trucks deployed by 8 a.m. to clear the trash. Bleaching powder was also sprinkled in many areas to maintain the hygiene.