Vizianagaram: Heavy rush witnessed at temples of Lord Siva

Vizianagaram : Sivalayams in this district have witnessed huge rush of devotees on the occasion of Maha Sivaratri on Friday. But different from other places, here in Vizianagaram district, a popular Srirama temple has celebrated the Sivaratri with fervour.

Ramateertham, which is a 500-year-old Ramalayam, was crowded with thousands of devotees on Maha Sivaratri. People from the districts of Srikakulam, Visakhapatnam and Vizianagaram in the State and the States of Odisha and West Bengal visit the temple and offer prayers.

People visit the Ramateertham temple along with their families and stay here whole night without sleeping and early in the morning they have darshan of Lord Rama. Even they observe Jagarana on Maha Sivarathri on the premises of Ramalayam here.

The locals say that in ancient days, Lord Rama stayed at the place for some days during his Vanavasam and later in the sixteenth century he appeared in the dream of Vijanagaram Maharaja and directed him to construct a temple for him at Ramateertham village.

Even the Pandavas also have spent some days here during their Aranyavasam and visited the temple and prayed to Lord Rama seeking His blessings for success. Later the Maharaja of Vizianagaram has developed the temple by donating lands and other assets to Lord Rama.

Later Siva Linga also was installed at Ramateertham temple and Siva was made as Kshetrapalaka at the temple. Apart from this Punyagiri, devotees in large numbers also thronged temples at Gumpa, Jayathi and other places.

The temples were tastefully decorated and illuminated on the occasion. RTC has operated several special buses for the benefit of the devotees. People keep themselves awake the entire night as part of Jagarana and take holy dip in rivers or sea in the morning.