VISAKHAPATNAM: It is going to be a hectic marriage season for the next five days. All function halls, ‘kalyana mandapams’ and hotels have been booked till August 19. In view of the absence of auspicious ‘muhurthams’ from August 20 to March, 2015 and the ‘Godavari Pushkarams’ in June, 2015, hundreds of marriages have been planned during the five-day period.
The prices of flowers and vegetables have shot up and the function halls are being offered on 12-hour basis. Companies offering marriage-related services like catering, decoration and transportation are making a fast buck. The music bands and ‘purohits’ have also increased their charges. The Telugu Sravana Masam (usually August) is one the most auspicious month during which a large number of ‘muhurtams’ are available after the ‘magha masam’ (March). However, in the present ‘sravanam’, the ‘muhurtams’ for marriages are available only on five days from August 13 to 19.
“Though a few ‘muhurtams’ are available in December this year, they are not suitable for all people. Moreover, as the Godavari Pushkarams are celebrated in June 2015, people are in a hurry to complete the marriages,” said noted vedic pandit and Mahakameswari Peetham seer Yaddanapudi Ayyanna Pantulu. The marriage budgets in all categories have also increased due to skyrocketing of prices. There is a huge demand for cabs and other vehicles in the city. APSRTC is launching a number of bus services to various towns and cities in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
A whopping 2,000 marriages will be performed from the night of August 13 to the night of August 16 at Sri Hari Hara Hiranya Garbha Trimoorti Atmaka Satyanarayana Swamy Temple in Annavaram.
The devasthanam officials have made elaborate arrangements for organising the marriages. Normally, about 15,000 devotees visit the temple to have the darshan of Lord Satyanarayana Swamy but in the next three days, the devasthanam is expecting over 50,000 devotees per day. With a large number of marriages round the corner, Sri Varahalakshmi Nrusimha Swamy temple at Simhachalam is also witnessing a heavy devotee rush.