Khammam: Bhadradri temple earmarks 1.50 cr for Sri Rama Navami fete

Khammam: Sri Seetha Ramachandra Swamy Devasthanam officials are making elaborate arrangements for the upcoming Lord Rama and Sita Devi Kalyanam on April 2 and Pattabhisekham on April 3 in Bhadrachalam.

Ramalyam authorities decided to spend Rs 1.50 crore as more than one lakh devotees from different parts of the country would visit here to witness the Kalyanam and Pattabhisekham. The coordination meeting with district-level officials has been held twice in Bhadrachala to make the event a big success.

District Collector MV S Reddy and Minister Puvaada Ajay Kumar reviewed preparations with officials and instructed them to make foolproof arrangements as Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao, State Governor Tamilisai Sundararajan will visit during the Kalyanam and Pattabhisekham.

Already temple officials have started selling Kalyanam tickets online. The ticket prices are Rs 5,000, 2,000, 1,116, 500, 200 and 100 respectively. The officials are allowing about 15,000 devotees in cellars in Kalyanamandapam on the Kalyanam day free.

This time the temple authorities are contemplating increasing the laddu prasadam counters from 10 to 14 and talambralu distributing counters from 30 to 35 to avoid rush.

Already painting works have begun and pendals will be erected in temple and Kalyanamandapam in two days. Officials have completed repair works of flood bank and sculptures on the flood bank.

At present greenery work is going on in Kalyanamandapam and illumination works are planned in different places of the town.

As per the tradition which has been maintained for decades, the Chief Ministers will bring pattuvastarlu and muthyala talambralu on behalf the State government on the Kalyanam day and offer them to Lord Rama and Goddess Sita Devi. But unfortunately since 2015, Chief Minister has not been attending the kalyanam but his ministers. Devotees are expecting that at least this year, the Chief Minister will participate in Kalyanam and announce master plan implementation.