VIZIANAGARAM: Lakhs of devotees from across the State, and also from the Telangana, Odisha, Chattisgarh and West Bengal thronged the Pyditalli temple to witness the Sirimanu procession. Separate queue lines were set up for the elderly, pregnant women and physically challenged.
The Sirimanu cart or ratham arrived at the temple at about 1:45 pm from Hukumpeta, the native village of the main priest Bantupalli Venkata Rao. On Tuesday, the temple’s hereditary trustee Pusapati Ashok Gajapathi Raju’s daughter Aditi and other family members paid obeisance and offered silk clothes to the diety.
The Toliyeru festival was celebrated on a grand note at the temple late Monday night. As a part of it, paddy seeds were distributed among farmers by the temple priests.
Sirimanu was followed by Paladhara, Anjali Ratnam, Tella Yenugu and Bestavari Vala events. The procession was taken out between the Chaduru temple and the Vizianagaram Fort.
The Sirimanu made three rounds and each round took 30 minutes. The Pyditalli temple priest blessed the devotees from atop the 55-feet-high Sirimanu. After completion of the procession, the devotees thronged the temple for darshan.