Kothagudem: Grand Sri Rama Navami celebrations post-Covid

Kothagudem: Sri Rama Navami was celebrated with all its splendour and gaiety at the historical Sri Seetha Ramachandra Swamy Devasthanam at Bhadrachalam on Sunday as part of Sri Rama Navami.

Since it was held with pomp and gaiety after a gap of two years, a large number of devotees thronged the venue and physically witnessed the celebrations.

The rituals started early in the morning with special pujas in the main temple.

Later at 10 am, the festival deities were taken from the main temple to beautifully decorated Mithila stadium amid chanting of Vedic mantras. After that the priests performed 'Vishwaksena puja' and other rituals. In 'Abhijhit Lagna' the wedding ceremony was performed followed by a colourful Talambralu event. Endowments Minister A Indrakaran Reddy, Transport Minister Puvvada Ajay Kumar and Women and Child Welfare Minister Satyavathi Rathod offered silk clothes and Mutyala Talambralu to the deities on behalf of the State government, a tradition followed since the times of Bhakta Ramadasu.

Priests from Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple of Srirangam in Tamil Nadu, Sringeri Peetham in Karnataka, Tirumala-Tirupati Devasthanams Chairman Y V Subba Reddy and the heirs of Bhakta Ramadasu also presented silk clothes to the deities as per the tradition.

The flower bedecked Mithila Pranganam in the temple premises reverberated with Vedic hymns and singing of 'Sri Rama …Jaya Rama and Ramachandra Maharaj Ki jai'.

The deities were adorned with dazzling ornaments, including Patchala Pathakam and Chintaku Pathakam, gifted by the 17th Century saint composer Bhakta Ramadasu. Chief Minister K Chanrdrashekar Rao could not attend the event as he was in New Delhi for the past one week.

During late evening, "Tiruveedhi Seva'' took place, where the idols of the deities Lord Rama and Goddess Seetha were taken in a procession on Chandraprabha Vahanam.

Maha Pattabhishekam would take place on Monday at Kalyana Mandapam. Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan will be participating in it.