Shiva temples illuminated across the State
Kurnool, March 6, 2008Barring police highhandedness incidents in Vijayawada, Maha Shivaratri festival was celebrated across the State with traditional gaiety and religious fervor in major temples. Besides the major temples at Srisailam, lakhs of devotees thronged other temples including Srikalahasti, Vemulawada, Kotappakonda, Draksharamam, Durga Temple to offer prayers.
Hundreds of devotees joined Union Minister of State for Mines and Geology T Subbirami Reddy to perform 'Mahakumbhabhishekam' to one crore eight hundred sivalingas. The Minister also performed Rudrabhishekam along with Sarada Peetam Seer Swami Swaroopanandendra Saraswati. Thousands of people waited at the swimming ghats in Vijayawada to have the holy dip in the Krishna river before offering prayers at the Durga temple but the police did not allow them keeping in view of the stampede that took place atop Indrakeeladri hills on the New Year Day. When the crowd became restive, the police used some mild force. Irked at the behavior of the police, the devotees behavior of the police, the devotee had heated exchanges with the security personnel.
At Srisailam, nearly four lakh devotees had the darshan of the presiding deity Sri Mallikarjuna Swamy and his consort Bhramaramba Devi. Nearly 60,000 had holy dip in the Krishna River and offered poojas. The Srisailam Devasthanams officials had organized Annadanam for those who have undertaken Shiva Deeksha. Special poojas like Ruderabhishem, Nandivahanaseva, Pagalankarana and Kalyanam were held on the occasion and the district police put up metal detectors at the temple's entrance. In Medak district, the turn out at the temples was poor in the early hours but the rush started as the time passed by. Medak MLA P Bodhidharma Reddy offered pattu vastralu to Goddess Durga Bhavani at Malayalam as the State Government has declared Edupayala jatara a State festival. Comparing to the previous year, the number of pilgrims at Vemulawada has come down on Maha Shivaratri day as the large number of the people have had darshan before going to Medaram Sammakka-Saralamma jatara that was conducted fifteen days ago.
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