Yanamalakuduru Prabha fete adds to festive spirit

Vijayawada (NTR district): Yanamalakuduru area near Vijayawada is gearing up for the most auspicious Maha Sivratri festival as Ramalingeswara Swamy temple is all decked up for the annual Prabha Mahotsav, where huge Prabhas will be taken out in procession through the streets of Yanamalakuduru (Krishna district) and Ramalingeswara Nagar (Vijayawada).

Devotees from not only Vijayawada but also from Krishna and Guntur districts will participate in Sivratri and perform special prayers.

Sri Ramalingeswara Swamy temple is the biggest Siva temple in the erstwhile Krishna district and well built over the hillock with wide ghat road and beautiful structures of temple, steps and other facilities. The temple is located adjacent to Krishna river with a beautiful scenery.

Prabha Mahotsavam is the most significant ritual, which has been observed at Sri Ramalingeswara temple in Yanamalakuduru near Vijayawada for the past few decades during Sivaratri celebrations and attracts over two lakh pilgrims.

The event involves plenty of hard work and devotion along with huge money. The procession is observed every year on a grand scale here and it is considered the biggest festival after Kotappakonda.

Devotees, who wish to conduct Prabha procession, will gather long wooden sticks from forests, mainly from Sathupalli of Khammam district and Narasaraopet of Palnadu district.

Later, the organisers will start the Prabha making process after performing puja. Skilled workers will be deployed for making Prabhalu of 50 feet to 80 feet length. The wooden stick will be yoked juxtaposingly to build a good and strong Prabha by the workers, which will take around three days.

After completing the process, the Prabha will be decorated with flowers, colourful papers and dazzling and flashy lighting systems along with DJ.

Around Rs 5 to Rs 6 lakh is spent on preparing each Prabha from the beginning till completion of the process. Youth and organisers of area/villages concerned will spend the money for preparing a Prabha on their own.

One of the organisers of 'Prabha' of NTR circle of Yanamalakuduru village said that they have been participating in Prabha procession festival for the past 23 years.

He said they will get material like wood and ingredients from a long distance, and this year they are making 72 feet Prabha.

Pendyala Gopala Krishna and K Venkateswara Rao of Duggirala mandal of Guntur district said that they came here to make Prabhas. "Rs 1,200 per day will be paid to us and we will earn around Rs 4,000 to Rs 5,000 from each Prabha. Meals and other expenses also will be provided," they added.

Sri Ramalingeswara Swamy temple EO Ganghadar said that this year permission was given to 34 Prabhalu to participate in the procession during Shivratri night.

Speaking to The Hans India, he said that the celebrations will commence on Friday (February 17) and continue till February 20.

He informed that they are expecting around two lakh devotees on Saturday, the day of Maha Sivratri. All arrangements are made for the successful conduct of the festivity, he added.