Bhadrachalam: Vaggeyakara Utsavams to kickstart today

Bhadrachalam: The five-day 'Vaggeyakara Utsavams', organised to celebrate the 367th birth anniversary of Bhaktha Ramadasu by Sri Sitaramachandra Swamy Devasthanam, will begin on Wednesday. All the arrangements in this regard have been at the Chitrakuta Mandapam on the temple premises. Scores of classical singers including Malladi Brothers will attend the celebrations that will begin after the Panchamruta Abhishekam to a statue of Ramadasu in the temple.

A descendant of Ramadasu, Kancharla Srinivas Rao, will join the celebrations. The temple officers, meanwhile, expecting a heavy rush of devotees and music lovers to the programme. The venue, Chitrakuta Mandapam, has been decorated with flowers for the occasion.

Meanwhile, the State government is planning to conduct a three-day programme in the Bhaktha Ramadasu Dhyana Mandiram at Nelakondapalli, the birthplace of the saint-poet. According to officers, they have been conducting the programme for the last 48 years, where the programme for the first time was held in 1972.

Noted singer late Dr Mangalampally Balamurali Krishna had rendered Ramadasu Keerthanalu during the Utsavams several times. Singers Nedhunuri Krishnamurthy, Emani Shankara Sastry, Nukala China Satyanarayana, Yella Venkateswara Rao, Mandolin Srinivas, NCH Krishnamacharyulu, and others attended the programmes.