Annual 3-day Mary Matha festival begins

The three-day long Mary Matha festival held at the grotto of Mother Mary atop Gunadala hill in the city begun here today.
The festival commenced at the church located at the base of the hillock with the lighting of lamp by Bishop Dr Joseph Raja Rao and amid singing of traditional prayers.
Thousands of devotees across the state have arrived here to take part in the festival and offer prayers at the church after visiting the Mary Matha idol on hillock.
Not only Christians, but people from other religions also take part in this festival. Though this is a Catholic Christian festival, people break coconuts, light candles and get their heads tonsured for fulfilment of vows.

Police have made elaborate security arrangements and also vehicular traffic near the shrine has been diverted to facilitate movement of devotees.
The state transport body is running special buses from Krishna, West Godavari and Guntur districts to the city.