Devotees throng temples on Karthika Pournami

Patancheru: Temples in the Patancheru industrial estate were packed with devotees, mostly women, who celebrated the 'Karthika Pournami' festival on Tuesday. They made a beeline and lit the traditional lamps in the shrines since the early hours. Among them were Bramarambika Mallikarjuna Swamy Temple in Beeramgudagutta, in Ameenpur, and Ramalingeswara Shirdi Sai Temple in the town.

Teeming devotees were found in temples even at 3 am eager to seek the 'darshan' of the deity on the auspicious day. They performed 'Shikara Puja,' 'Maharudrabishekam' and 'Samuhika Abishekam', 'Sindhura Puja', 'Kunkumarchana' and special pujas in the afternoon. They also performed mass 'Satynarayana Vrathalu'.

The devotees participated in the special decoration of the shrines in the evenings, along with 'Nakshatra Harathi', 'Jwajathoranam', and other programmmes. Thousands participated in the 'Annadanam' programmes in the temples, as is usually done every year. Among the donors of the 'Annadanam' were families of Narsimha and Ramesh.