A 'quite' Sita Rama Kalyanam

Bhadrachalam: With a few attendees, the celestial wedding of Lord Rama with His Consort Sita was conducted traditionally at Sri Sita Ramachandra Swamy temple in Bhadrachalam on Thursday.

Due to coronavirus outbreak, the State government had decided to conduct the festival without devotees. Accordingly, the temple authorities conducted the programme at Beda mandapam in the temple premises.

After conducting the rituals, at 10 am the festival deities were taken from the main temple amid vedic chanting to a separate stage set up at Beda mandapam in the main temple premises.

After conducting Vishwaksena puja, at 12 pm during Abijit lagnam jeelakara-bellam ritual was conducted, followed by talambralu offering.

Endowments Minister A Indrakaran Reddy offered silk clothes and mutyala talambralu to the festival deities on behalf of the State government. Transport Minister Puvvada Ajay Kumar also offered silk clothes to the deities.

The officers allowed 40 to 50 devotees only to attend the programme.

State government's Cultural Advisor KV Ramana Chary, Commissioner of Endowments Anil Kumar, Zilla Parishad Chairman K Kanakaiah, Mahabubad MP B Kavitha, Bhadrachalam MLA P Veeraiah, District Judge Laxman, Kothagudem Additional Collector K Venkateswarlu, Superintendent of Police Sunil Dutt and other officers attended the programme.