Fervour marks Rathasapthami in Markapur

Markapur: The Sri Sridevi Bhudevi Sameta Sri Lakshmi Chennakesava Swamy Temple in Markapur celebrated the Rathasaptami Festival in a grand manner with a series of divine chariots, on Saturday.

Temple priests Sripati Appanacharyulu and Nandhyala Srinivasacharyulu decorated the deities with silk robes, valuable jewels and gold and diamond ornaments under the supervision of chief priest Nandhyala Tirumalacharyulu, in the early morning. The Suryaprabha Vahanam started at 06. 00 AM and the Lord Chennakesava offered blessings to devotees packed in the main streets. Later the almighty adorned the Sesha Vahanam, Garuda Vahanam, Hanumantha Vahanam, Kalpavriksha Vahanam, Rajata Vahanam, and Chandraprabha Vahanam and offered a darshan to the people attended the festival, between intervals of a one-and-half hour. In the meantime, the priests offered Chakrasnanam to rejuvenate the forces of the god and give an opportunity to the devotees to feel the mightiness of divine powers. It is expected that over one lakh devotees from Markapur, Giddalur, Podili, Yerragondapalenm, Kanigiri, Dornala, Vinukonda and surrounding places thronged the four streets around the temple to witness the god ply over the divine chariots.

People from various organisations and societies offered free meals at various places in Markapur town while artists from various places pleased the god with their performances.

Education Minister Adimulapu Suresh, MLAs Anna Rambabu, Kunduru Nagarjuna Reddy, former MLAs KP Kondareddy, K Narayana Reddy, temple trust board chairman Yakkali Kasi Viswanatham, EO Chandrasekhar Reddy, and other prominent persons from the town and nearby villages sought the darshan of almighty and prayed to him. Markapur DSP Nageswara Reddy made foolproof arrangements to provide security to the devotees and kept law and order under control.