KURNOOL: The Srisaila Devasthanam authorities have made all arrangements to conduct Kalyanotsavam of Lord Mallikarjuna Swamy and Goddess Bramaramba Devi on the occasion of Maha Shivaratri to be organized Sunday midnight.
It is the main event of the eleven-day celebrations on the occasion of Maha Shivaratri in Srisailam. Nandi Vahana Seva for the presiding deities will be held at 7 pm on Maha Sivaratri Day.
"Lingodbhava Rudrabhishekam and Pagalankarana will be performed at 10 pm, and later Kalyanotsavam will be organised at midnight on a grand note as per the tradition," temple executive officer M Srinivasa Rao said.
Nearly 15 lakh devotees have arrived at the Srisailam shrine during the Brahmotsavams and have had dharshan, and at least 3 lakh pilgrims halted at the temple town to perform Shivaratri Jagarana on Sunday night.
However, the inflow of pilgrims was increasing by the hour for the past couple of days.
While some were reaching the hill shrine of Lord Mallikarjuna swamy by foot, others were coming by vehicles.
The hills were reverberating with Shiva Nama smaranam (chanting of Om Namah Shivaya). 70 per cent of the pilgrims who have come here were Siva Swamulu (Shiva Deeksha devotees).
As soon as they arrived at the hills, the pilgrims were taking a holy dip in the Patala Ganga and offering prayers to the presiding deity and Goddess Bhramaramba.
The Srisailam is renowned as ‘Dhakshina Kasi’ (Varanasi of the south) and one among the 12 Jyotirlingas. Presiding deity Mallikarjuna Swamy and his consort Brahmaramba are worshipped at the temple.
The temple premises also have ‘Shivalingas’ installed by Pandavas, ‘Triphala Vruksham’ believed to bestow babies to childless couple, river Saraswathi, Mallika and Manoharagundas known as ‘Antarvahini’, Vrudda Mallikarjuna lingam and sahasra Lingeswarudu installed by Lord Rama and Sita.
There are Sivaji Spoorti Kendra, pancha mathas, patala ganga, a water reservoir, power generating unit and a ropeway for the amusement of the pilgrims.
The Maha Shivaratri occasion is being celebrated as Brahmothsavams in the month of Magha (the 11th month of the Indian Lunar Calendar), which usually falls in the month of February/March. This is a festival of eleven days with Navahaknika Deeksha.
The Mahasivarathri day (29th day of Magham) is the most important day of the festival.
On the Mahasivarathri day at midnight during Lingodbhavakalam (the sacred time in which God Siva manifests in the form of a huge flaming Linga), Abhishekam will be religiously performed to God Mallikarjuna Swamy.
The Pagalankarana is a unique custom found only in the Srisailam temple and is the most significant event of the festival. A person belonging to the weavers community (Devanga) ties a lengthy new white cloth called a Paga (Turban), starting from the Sikhara of the Swamyvari Vimana Gopuram, passing around the Nandi idols placed on the Mukha Mandapam of the temple.
The interesting feature of this event is that the Devanga will decorate the Paga with a naked body in total darkness, and all the lights at that time are put off in the temple.
The cloth used in the Pagalankarana is hand-woven by weavers throughout the year.
Nearly 30 Pagas are offered by various weavers individually as a vow, and all the Pagas will be decorated simultaneously by a single weaver.
After the Pagalankarana, Kalyanotsavam of God Mallikarjuna Swamy and Goddess Bhramaramba Devi will be performed.
The Rathothsavam will commence effectively on the next day of Mahashivratri in the evening.