The ‘Rottela Panduga’, an annual roti-sharing and wish-making festival, is being held on the sprawling banks of the Swarnala Cheruvu tank in Nellore, Andhra Pradesh from October 1 to 5.
Over 15 lakh pilgrims and devotees from all over the country are expected to take part in the landmark festival. This festival symbolises religious harmony.
What is Rottela Panduga?
Rottela Panduga (Rotiyaan ki eid or Roti Festival) will be observed from 1st to 5th October 2017 in Nellore as a state festival.
Rottela Panduga is an annual urs (festival) held at Bara Shaheed Dargah of Nellore in Andhra Pradesh, India. The annual state sponsored event is observed in the month of Muharram as urs of 12 martyrs whose mortal remains are buried in the compound. Women who visit the shrine, exchange their rotis at Nellore Tank (Swarnala Cheruvu) in fulfillment of their wishes.
The roti festival is a historic event as it is being conducted here in the surroundings of ‘Bara Shahid Dargah’ for over 400 years as a mark of respect for the 12 Islamic warrior martyrs who sacrificed their lives here for the cause of their faith.
Over the decades, the Rottela Panduga has come to stand as a symbol of religious harmony considering the fact that thousands of devotees belonging to other faiths have also been participating and making their wishes at the banks of Swarnala Cheruvu.
It became a tradition to exchange rotis to mark the special occasion which has become famous as the Roti festival. Devotees believe that their wishes will come true if they visit dargah during the festival. Devotees make different wishes related to education progress, health, wealth, marriage alliances and so on. It got a multi-religious character even as lots of pilgrims arrive here every year from the cities like Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Mysore and Vijayawada.
Legends
Another legend is about the beginning of the Roti Festival, once the wife of the Nawab of this region was very ill. None of the doctors (vaidyas) were able to cure her disease. So, the Nawab announces that anyone who suggests a proper medicine will be rewarded. Meanwhile, a washerman couple comes to Bara Shaheed Dargah and sees an ill woman praying in the shrine. They decide to return after their prayers but it gets dark. So, they stay on the banks of a tank near the Dargah.
Next morning they hear about the Nawab’s announcement and realise that the ill woman in Dargah was none other than Nawab’s wife. They visit the Nawab and suggests him to take the soil from the Dargah and apply it on his wife’s forehead. The Nawab follows their instructions and soon his wife gets cured.
Roti festival or Rottela Panduga is a special and unique festival since it is all about sharing, irrespective of their religious beliefs.
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