Kottappa Konda Tirunallu (Kotappa Konda Fair)

India, the land of festivals &  festivities is an integral part of our daily lives. Most of the festivals revolve around religious ceremonies, gods & goddesses, temples and of course the rural fairs which are brightly lit & dotted with a variety of fun filled activities. One such popular fair which is celebrated yearly on the eve of Maha Shivratri and visited by lakhs of devotees mainly from the Telugu speaking states of Telangana & Andhra Pradesh is the Kotappakonda Tirunalla Fair. Kotappakonda is the hill where the famous Sri Trikoteswara Swamy Temple is located, the holy abode of Lord Shiva. The hill has three peaks and together they are called Trikuta Hills which comprise Brahma hill, Vishnu hill & Rudra hill distinctly visible from any direction. This beautiful temple is at a distance of 13 km from the city of Narasaraopet in the Guntur district of Andhra Pradesh. A number of items like toys, clothes, sweets, bangles and even animals are sold at the fair. The devotees shave their heads and carry lighted lamps/prabhas to offer to Lord Shiva which is the main attraction of this fair. Devotees soak themselves in this illumination of divinity created by the brightly lit lamps/prabhas. This two-day fair is celebrated with great devotion, fervour and enthusiasm by the devotees.