AP to develop Vontimitta into major spiritual centre

The Andhra Pradesh government which is celebrating its first Sri Ramanavami celebrations in the 450-year-old Sri Kodandarama temple in Vontimitta of YSR Kadapa district also plans to boost the temple’s past glory by developing the temple town into a prominent spiritual cente.

Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister K E Krishnamurthy will on Saturday offer pattu vastram and Pearls (Mutyala Thalambralu) to the presiding deity and attend the celestial wedding event on night of April 2.The week-long cultural activities from March 28 to April 6 will be conducted by the Pothana Sahitya Kalavedika and Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams.

With the Sri Rama Navami celebrations kick-starting the event with great poet Bammera Pothana’s birth anniversary, there is a special discourse by Jonnavithhula Ramalingeswara Rao and avadhanam by poets. On March 29, there is a special Kuchipudi performance along with a musical evening of Thyagaraja keertans.

On the concluding day of April 5, the most auspicious Seetarama Kalyanam will be conducted at night. The Seetarama kalyanam in this temple is held in the night, while it is performed during the day elsewhere in the country.

Besides one will not find an idol of Lord Hanuman along with the main deities in the sanctum sanctorum in Vontimitta. That is because the meeting of Rama and Hanuman occurred after the visit of Rama to Vontimetta to kill demons who were obstructing the homas of the rishis in the region.