HYDERABAD: Sri Kondandarama Swamy temple at Vontimitta in Kadapa district, which falls in the circuit including the temples in Tirupati, Tallapaka and Devuni Kadapa, is going to celebrate ensuing ‘Sri Rama Navami’ festival in the state in a grand manner as an official function jointly by the Tirumula Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) and the state government, for the first time.
With Bhadrachalam having gone to Telangana in state’s bifurcation, the AP government had last year tried to celebrate Sri Rama Navami at Kodandarama Swamy temple in Vontimitta as a an official function. But, due to various reasons, it could not do it in a full-fledged manner.
However, this year, the state government and the TTD Trust Board decided to celebrate Sri Sita Rama Kalyanam in Vontimitta as the first official event.
Brahmotsavams and other special events will be held from April 14 to April 24 including Sriramanavami on April 15 at the temple. Hanumat Seva will be held on April 18, Sri Sitarama Kalyanam on April 20 and Rathotsavam on April 21 at the historic temple.
Though the festival was celebrated last year at the temple, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu could not attend the Sri Rama Navami celebrations due to personal reasons. In place of Naidu, his deputy KE Krishnamurthy had presented the silk clothes to the presiding deity.
This year, Naidu will offer silk clothes and “mutyala thalambralu” to the presiding deity and attend the celestial wedding at Vontimitta.
However, the AP government would send silk clothes and mutyala thalambralu to the Rama temple at Bhadrachalam also, which is now in Telangana.
In fact, recently, the State government had handed over the Kondandarama Swamy Devasthanam at Vontimitta to the TTD for comprehensive development and maintenance.
Ramatheertham in V’nagaram Dist
The state government will also offer silk clothes for the celestial wedding of Sri Sita Rama to be celebrated on the occasion of Sri Rama Navami at Ramatheertham in Vizianagram district which Rama is believed to have visited during his Vanavasam along with Sita and Lakshmana.
