Sun rays touch feet of Bhavanarayana Swamy at Peda Ganjam

Chirala: Sunrays touched the feet of presiding deity at the Bhavanarayana Swamy temple in Peda Ganjam of China Ganjam mandal in Prakasam district for the second consecutive day on Monday.

The devotees, who thronged before the sunrise, were awestruck as they catch a glimpse of the light touching the feet of the god.

The legend says that Lord Rama in Tretayug, who is travelling to Lanka through the area granted a wish to his devotee Vinata Devi, mother of Garutmantha at Gandhapuri to bless the people in Kaliyug in the incarnation as the Bhu Neelasahitha Bhavanarayana Swamy. The Gandhapuri village became Ganjam and then developed into Peda Ganjam and China Ganjam.

Historians say that the Mukhamantapam of the age-old Bhavanarayana temple was built by the Chola kings in the eighth century.

The temple priests said that the sun rays touch the deity in the temple every year two times, once in March and October as the sun shifts from Uttarayana to Dakshinayana and vice-versa.

They said that the touch of sun rays continue for three days and this time also scores of devotees reached the temple to pray to the Bhavanarayana Swamy along with the Suryanarayana Swamy at the same time.