Mallanna Talapaga, a special privilege to Prudhvi family

Chirala: It is a tradition for Mallikarjuna Swamy to give darshan in an attire draped with a turban and bestow the devotees on every Maha Shivratri. The Prudhvi family of Hastinapuram in Devangapuri of Vetapalem mandal near Chirala is blessed with the boon and the responsibility to weave the turban and drape to the almighty, for generations, and they have been doing it with devotion.

Attending the celestial wedding of Mallikarjuna and Bhramaramba at Srisailam is customary to many families from Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. Prudhvi Venkateswarlu's family has been preparing the turban for Lord Siva, the Mallanna Talapaga, and the canopy over the sanctum sanctorum.

With the commencement of Kartika Masam, Prudhvi Venkateswarlu and his son Subbarao starts weaving the cloth of length 365 feet, on a specially decorated handloom. Cloth weaving would be completed entering Magha Masam, it will be made it into two parts and curled into the shape of two cylinders. The day before Maha Shivratri, they place the rolls in the presence of Shivalayam in Pandillapalli and travel to Srisailam for the final ritual.

By the time of Lingodbhavam on the midnight of Maha Shivratri, all the lights in Srisailam temple premises would be turned off, to allow two nude men, Venkateswarlu and his son Subbarao, to scale the Alaya Sikharam and cover the Navanandis, as a canopy on the sanctum sanctorum with the cloth they weaved. The other part will be used to prepare turban for the bridegroom for the celestial wedding. After five days post the marriage, the clothes will be removed as an indication of the completion of the celebrations.

Prudhvi Venkateswarlu said that his forefathers were bestowed with the duty of weaving and bringing the turban to Lord Mallanna, who adorns it for the marriage with Goddess Bhramaramba. He said that he assisted his father and grandfather in weaving the cloth and participating in the ritual for over 60 years. Subbarao, who has been assisting his father for over 40 years, said that Mallanna bestowed his family abundantly by allowing his forefathers for four generations to prepare the turban.

Subbarao said that there are other handloom artisans, who also bring turbans for the divine marriage, but the temple authorities will allow only nine of them for using in the celebrations. He said after they remove the clothes, the authorities will cut them into small pieces and sell them to interested devotees, who keep them in their houses, offices, business premises and even in vehicles to ward off evil eyes.