Ratha Sapthami celebrated with gaiety

Eluru: Devotees thronged Lord Sri Venkateswara Swamy temple at RR Peta and Lord Sri Dhanvantari Vaidya Bhagawan Viswaroopa Mandir on the occasion of Ratha Sapthami on Wednesday.

Devotees reached Suryanarayana Swamy temple at Powerpet area in the early hours and offered prayers in the temple. They cooked pongal at the temple and offered to Lord Dhanvantari Bhagawan. Serpentine queues were witnessed at the temple.

Priest Rallabandi Adinarayana Sarma performed special prayers to Lord Suryanarayana Swamy in the temple. The police personnel were deployed to control traffic at the temple.

Eluru MLA Badeti Kota Rama Rao’s wife Renuka, weightlifting National Coach Badeti Venkataramayya’s wife Padmavati, TDP leader Badeti Radhakrishna (Chanti)’s wife Meena prepared ‘naivedyam’ to Lord Suryanarayana Swamy.

Women in large numbers offered prayers at the temple. At Lord Sri Venkateswara temple, the priests performed puja to Lord Suryanarayana vahanam in the temple complex.

They also performed special puja to Lord Sri Venkateswara Swamy and offered ‘naivedyam’ to the Lord. Later, Sapta Vahana Mahotsavam of Lord Sri Venkateswara Swamy was conducted in the four mada streets of the temple.

Devasthanam priests Illindala Srinivasacharyulu, Kilambi Maruti performed pujas. Later, temple Dharmakartala Mandai Chairman Sala Manikyala Rao (Rajababu), executive officer BH Kishore Kumar participated in Lord Sri Venkateswara Swamy’s procession.

Corporator Maganti Vani Prabhakar, trustees Eetakota Srinivasa Rao, Nalla Kasi Visweswara Rao, Jampa Suryanarayana, K Krishnamacharyulu and Sambangi Jagadeesh were present.