Muslims pray at Venkateswara temple

Kadapa: In an exemplary gesture of communal harmony, a large number of Muslim men and burqa-clad women as well as children stood in queue lines along with Hindu devotees to have a darshan of Sri Venkateswara Swamy and Padmavathi Devi and offered prayers in the famous and historical Lakshmi Venkateswara Swamy temple in the old city ( Devuni Kadapa) here on the occasion of Telugu new year Ugadi on Sunday.

Every fourth person who waited in the serpentine queues were outside the temple was Muslim. They carried flowers, jaggery, pieces of sugarcane, tamarind, neem fruits, coconuts to offer to the presiding deities, patiently waited under scorching son for their turn for harathi and theerdham (holy flame and water).

It is tradition in Kadapa and some other places in Rayalaseema districts  to visit Venkateswara  Swamy temples on Ugadi day as many Muslims believe that  Bibi Nancharamma, consort of Lord Venkateswara, is a Muslim. Incidentally, Devuni Kadapa is considered as gateway to Tirumala , the abode of Lord Venkateswara.

Priests  conducted special prayers and blessed Muslim devotees offering harathi and theerdham. The tradition has been going on for several centuries in Kadapa. “Lord Balaji is our son-in-law as he married a girl from our community, Bibi Nancharamma.  In order to express gratitude, Muslims used to visit  Devuni Kadapa  on the occasion of Telugu new year day.

I have been witnessing this temple for last 35 years after I got married in the village,” said 55-year-old  S.K Khadar Bi told The Hans India. There is a tradition in some Rayalaseema districts according to which Muslims perform almanac reading (panchanga sravanam ) in darga where the people from both Hindu and Muslim community would get in to know what the year ahead holds for them.