800,000 join for Marian feat at Gunadala hill

They broke coconuts, lit candles and their heads tonsured for fulfillment of vows.

Devotees offer prayers at the Mother Mary grotto atop the Gunadala hill in Vijayawada on Wednesday, the concluding day of the three-day festival

Vijayawada:  Some 800,000 people prayed at the grotto of Mother Mary on Gunadala hill in Andhra Pradesh the annual three-day Gunadala Mary Matha Festival that concluded on Wednesday.

Devotees from across the state and neighboring Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Telangana and even from the North-east states visited the holy shrine and participated in the festivities. They broke coconuts, lit candles and their heads tonsured for fulfillment of vows.

Rector Father M Chinnappa said the three-day festival witnessed serpentine queues of devotees trekking to main church, grotto and the Cross on the summit of the hill.

Social Service Centre executive director Father M Prasad said Gunadala Hill possesses many powers of breaking the curse of barrenness and devotees who pray for Mother Mary will be relieved of troubles.

Source: New Indian Express