BHADRACHALAM/ ADILABAD /NALGONDA / SIDDIPET: Thousands of devotees thronged the Mithila Stadium in Bhadrachalam to offer prayers as Sri Rama Navami was celebrated with religious fervour on Thursday. The devotees, including VVIPs, who descended on the temple town also witnessed the Sri Sitarama Kalyanam, the celestial wedding of Lord Rama and his consort Sita Devi, which was celebrated on a grand scale after a gap of two years.
The kalyanam mahotsavam began at around 12.00 noon with the priests performing jeelakarra-bellam ritual in Abhijit lagnam while the talibottu ritual was completed precisely 12.30 pm. Earlier in the day, puja and kalyanam was performed to the presiding deities at the main temple. Later, the utsava vigrahalu (festival idols) were brought to the Mithila Stadium on a decorated vahanam amidst chanting of mantras and artists playing drums and kolatam.
At the stadium, the deities were placed on silver throne at 10 am, after which rituals like punyavachanam, samprokshana, rakshabandanam and mokshabandanam. Later, suvarna yagnopaveetham was presented to Lord Rama and the Kanya Varanam conducted, followed by jeelakarra-bellam tantu in Abhijit lagnam at around 12 noon. The mangalasutradharna tantu was completed at 12.30 pm.
Speaking on the occasion, Sri Tridandi Chinna Jeeyar Swami explained about the importance of Ramayanam to the devotees.
KCR skips the event
As in the past, this year too Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao skipped this year’s event too. As per the tradition, the CM presents pattu vastralu and muthyala talambralu on behalf of the State government. But, Rao followed this tradition only in 2015 and 2016.
Endowments Minister A Indrakaran Reddy presented pattu vastralu and muthyala talambralu to Lord Rama and Sita Devi on behalf of the State government.
Haryana Governor Bandaru Dattatreya, AP Assembly Speaker Tammineni Sitaram, Mahabubabad MP M Kavitha, Bhadrachalam MLA Podem Veeraiah and Collector D Anudeep and SP Dr Vineeth G and ASP Paritosh Pankaj were among the VIPs present on the occasion.
Celebrations in Adilabad, Nalgonda, Siddipet
The Sri Rama Navami was also celebrated with devotion and religious fervour at temples across Adilabad and Nalgonda districts.
In Adilabad, MLA Jogu Ramanna and BJP leader C Suhasini Reddy and Congress district president Shajid Khan participated in the celebrations. The BRS and Hindu Vahini leaders organised separate Shoba yatras to mark the occasion.
In Nalgonda, thousands of devotees thronged the Sri Seetharamachandhra Swamy temple to witness the celestial wedding of Lord Rama and Sita Devi.
Harish visits 20 temples
Finance Minister T Harish Rao on Thursday visited around 20 temples and participated in Sri Rama Navami celebrations in Siddipet town.