KADAPA: A centuries-old tradition continues at the Sri Sanjeeva Raya (Anjaneya) temple in Tippayipalle village of Pullampeta mandal, Railways Koduru Assembly constituency, now part of Tirupati district.
Every year, on the Sunday before Sankranti, the village observes a special Pongal festival celebrated exclusively by men. On this day, men—including those who return from other states and abroad—bring cooking materials from their homes, prepare Pongal inside the temple premises, and offer it as naivedyam to Lord Sanjeeva Raya. Villagers regard this ritual as more significant than Sankranti itself.
Women are not permitted to enter the temple or consume the Pongal offered to the deity, though they may have darshan from outside the compound.
According to local belief, several centuries ago, a saint visited the village, accepting food only from men and refusing offerings from women. Before leaving, he installed a stone slab named Sanjeeva Raya and instructed villagers to follow specific rituals. Believed to be divine in human form, the saint also directed that no temple tower or sanctum be built. To this day, the temple has only boundary walls and no idol worship centres on the inscribed stone slab.
Another belief holds that during a period of poor crop yields and hardship, a Brahmin advised villagers to worship the slab as Sanjeeva Raya, after which prosperity returned. Residents Venkataramana and Sudhakar Naidu said the tradition is believed to protect the village from evil forces and health problems. The festival continues to attract devotees from Tippayipalle and neighbouring villages, symbolising faith and collective belief passed down through generations.