VISAKHAPATNAM: Nagula Chavithi, the traditional festival dedicated to serpent worship, was celebrated with fervour across North Andhra on Friday, drawing large gatherings of devotees from both rural and urban communities in Visakhapatnam, farmers at Rythu Bazaars paused their agricultural routines to perform rituals at snake pits in their fields, seeking divine blessings for prosperity and protection from snakebites.
The festival also brought families together in agency areas, as children returned from cities to participate in ancestral customs. Large crowds were seen at the Andhra University engineering grounds, where urban residents joined the celebrations by offering prayers at snake burrows.
However, the festivities raised environmental concerns at the Kambalakonda Protected Eco-Tourism Zone, where devotees breached protective fencing to reach snake pits within forested areas. Milk was poured into the pits as part of traditional rituals, an act which forest officials warned could harm wildlife and disrupt the natural habitat.
Forest Range Officer P.V. Sastry intervened at the spot, confiscating firecrackers from vehicles and appealing to devotees to respect sanctuary rules. He stressed that the use of firecrackers in protected zones is strictly prohibited, as it poses serious risks to animals and the forest ecosystem.
The Kambalakonda sanctuary, spread across 1,400 hectares, is home to more than 3,000 deer. Protective fencing has been installed around the sanctuary -- covering Adarshnagar, Arilova, Dabbanda, P.M. Palem, and Kommadi -- to prevent wildlife from straying onto nearby highways.
The damage caused during the festival has created vulnerable gaps, increasing the likelihood of deer entering traffic zones, especially during the dry season when their movement intensifies in search of water.
Officer Sastry informed Deccan Chronicle that the forest department had already proposed fencing repairs and is currently extending the barrier up to the Animal Rescue Centre with a budget of ₹30 lakh. He emphasized the need for a concrete wall as a long-term solution to prevent recurring damage during festivals and safeguard wildlife.
Devotees also gathered at Seethakonda Hills for pujas, where forest officials again urged the public to adopt environmentally responsible practices. "Traditions must be observed in a way that does not harm the very nature we worship," officials said, reminding devotees to avoid actions such as bursting firecrackers or damaging forest boundaries. As North Andhra continues to uphold its deep-rooted cultural traditions, authorities are calling for a harmonious balance between religious devotion and ecological preservation.