Temples teem with devotees as Dasara festivities begin in East Godavari

Rajamahendravaram: The nine-day Devi Navarathri Celebrations began on a grand scale in East Godavari district on Thursday.

Right from early morning, long queues were witnessed outside temples with a large number of devotees making a beeline to have darshan of presiding deities.

All the temples in East Godavari-- Talupulamma Lova, Manikyamba Temple at Draksharama, Puruhutika temple at Pithapuram, Ksheera Rama Bheemeswara Swamy temple at Samalkot have been exquisitely decorated for the occasion. They are dazzling with luminous lights with lovely flowers to attract the devotees.

Many temples like Sri Bala Tripura Sundari Temple in Kakinda, Maridamma Temple in Peddapuram, Sri Talupulamma Lova, Manikyamba Temple at Draksharama, Puruhutika temple at Pithapuram, Ksheera Rama Bheemeswara Swamy temple at Samolkot and many Goddess Durga temples teemed with devotees. A large number of devotees took darshan of Goddesses in various places and performed special pujas. The Peethams performed special pujas with devotees. The nine-day Devi Navaratri festival is celebrated with gaiety and pomp in Devi Chowk , Rajamahendravaram. Sridevi Utsav Committee has been organising the festivities for the last 20 years continuously.

A Vedic student, G. Subramanya Sri Rama Prahlad Sharma said that celebrating the spirit of the festival is more important than following the traditions. He said that the meaning of "Dasara" lies in controlling the ten directions of life. They include desire, anger, and greed, among other things that destroy a person's life. He said that gaining victory in these directions is the main significance of the festival.

District Collector Chevuri Hari Kiran ordered that pandals installing the deity should not be installed and cultural activities also banned in the Devi Navaratri festivals in the district. He said that the pujas are permitted to be performed from 6.30 am to 6.30 pm. After .30 pm no permission is accorded for conducting the pujas in the temples. He instructed that every one should strictly follow the covid -19 norms. He said that permission is to be given only to 50 members for auspicious occasions like marriage and others. He directed that everyone participating in the festivities must abide by the Covid -19 protocol and that everyone must wear masks and observe social distance. . The police officials issued orders to the Dasara festival organizers regarding maintenance of peace and security, Mr. Hari Kiran ordered that it must be complied with. Sri Devi Navarathri celebrations were grandly held at Goddess Iswaryambika Devi Temple at Sree Peetham on Thursday. The Goddess was decorated with Goddess `Annapoorna Devi', The devotees thronged to the Sree Peetham in large numbers and came from several parts of Andhra Pradesh. The women devotees performed Kumkum Poojas under supervision of Vedic pandits.