VIJAYAWADA: Indrakeeladri wore a festive look on Monday as the five-day Chaitra Brahmotsavams of Sri Ganga Parvathi Sametha Mallikarjuna Swamy began on a grand note at Mallikharjuna Maha Mandapam on the premises of Kanaka Durga temple.
Temple Sthanacharya V Siva Prasad Sarma, along with head priest Y Mallaya Sastry and vedic committee members, performed traditional rituals ‘vigneshwara pooja’, ‘agni pratisthapana’, ‘akhanda deepa sthapana’, ‘kalasardhana’ and ‘baliharana’ marking the beginning of the five-day festivities. Temple Executive Officer V Koteswaramma participated in the rituals that are related to the celestial wedding of the processional deities to be performed on Wednesday.
Koteswaramma, accompanied by trust board member Ch Samba Susila Devi, presented silk robes to Sri Ganga Parvathi Sametha Mallikarjuna Swamy. Later, the deities were taken on a ride on ‘gaja vahanam’ amid recitation of vedas and folk beats by artistes. Cultural programmes were also organised to encourage local talents.