‘Gajendra Moksham’ celebrated with fervour

Visakhapatnam: As part of the annual festival, ‘Gajendra Moksham’ was performed at Sri Varaha Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy Devasthanam with devotional fervour here on Wednesday. Annually, the festival, popularly known as ‘Makaraveta,’ is celebrated at Udyanavanam of Devasthanam on the Kanuma day. The idols of Lord Narasimha Swamy were carried over a palanquin from Simhachalam uphill to Tolipavancha trekking the stairway. Later, the annual rituals were performed at Udyanavanam chanting Veda mantras. As part of the traditions followed, a wooden elephant and a crocodile were included in the festival rituals.

The priests briefed the story of ‘Gajendra Moksham’ stating that Lord Vishnu saved an elephant from the clutches of a crocodile (Makara) and liberated Gajendra from the cycle of birth and death. Before becoming an elephant, Gajendra was king Indradyumna, a devotee of Lord Vishnu. He became Gajendra following a curse of the great sage Agastya. Once, when the rishi came to visit king Indradyumna, he was immersed in performing rituals to Lord Vishnu and hence could not receive the sage. As the sage felt insulted, he cursed the king that he would be born as an elephant, forgetting his devotion to Lord Vishnu in his next life.

After becoming an elephant, he attained Moksha and surrendered himself to Lord Vishnu hence the episode is known as ‘Gajendra Moksham’ in the Purana. At Simhachalam, new crops will be offered to Lord Sri Varaha Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy as part of the rituals. Temple Sthanacharyulu TP Raja Gopal, alankari K Sitaramacharyulu and other priests were present.