Fervour, gaiety mark Rama Navami

Eluru: Sri Sitarama Kalyanam was celebrated at all the Rama temples at specially erected pandals all over the district on Friday to mark the Sri Rama Navami. Streets wore a festive look with the locals performing the ‘kalyanotsavam' of Sri Sita Rama Swamy at several places in the district. The festive mood began in the early hours of the day with the playing of devotional songs at the pandals.

• Thousands of devotees witness celestial wedding

The temples and streets alike echoed with songs like ‘Sri Sita Ramula Kalyanamu Chutamu Rarandi’, ‘Kalyana Vaibhogame, Sri Sita Ramula Kalyana Vaibhogame’ and the film songs of ‘Lavakusa’ and other movies. In Eluru, the ‘kalyanotsavam' was celebrated on a grand scale at Ramalayam in Armed Reserve Police lines.

The Officer on Special Duty (OSD) (Armed Reserve) B Ramakrishna and his wife presented silk clothes to the deity. Earlier, the couple had a darshan of the Lord. Eluru range DIG P Harikumar and SP Bhaskar Bhushan also offered special prayers at the temple. Police officers from various parts of the district witnessed the celestial wedding.

The deities were decorated with silk clothes and the ‘kalyanam' was performed amid ‘veda mantras' and ‘mela talams'. The police personnel distributed vadapappu and panakam to the devotees and passersby. The devotees savoured ‘panakam’ which is the customary delight of this festival and invoked the Lord’s blessings. Various devotional programmes were organised on the festive occasion.

Besides, markets bustled with activity as people went on a shopping spree. DSPs B Chandrasekhar (AR), P Bhaskar Rao (SB), GVS Paideswara Rao (DCRB), Gogula Venkateswara Rao (Eluru), Narra Venkateswara Rao (Kovvuru) and CI N Rajasekhar participated in the kalyanotsavam.

In Sanivsrapuprta village of Eluru rural mandal, hundreds of devotees witnessed the celestial wedding of Sri Sita Rama Swamy performed on the occasion of Sri Rama Navami festival at Basava Linga choultry. ZP chairman Mullapudi Bapiraju, Eluru MP MagantiBabu and MLA Badeti Kota Ramarao and his wife Renuka participated in Sitarama Kalyanam at Sanagapappu Bazaar.

The kalyanam was performed to the ‘utsava murthies’ of Lord Rama and Goddess Sita, to enable a large number of devotees to witness the celestial wedding. AMC chairman Kurella Ram Prasad and his wife performed the kalyanam. Mayor Sheikh Noorjahan took part in the kalyanam at Lord Jwala Pahareswara temple in Southern street.

A rich devotional ambience prevailed Lord Jwala Pahareswara temple as the festival was celebrated on a grand scale. The Mayor presented silk clothes to Lord Rama and Goddess Sita. Corporator Perumalla Hema Sasikala, Corporation Whip Gudavalli Srinivas, Deputy Mayor Gudivada Ramachandra Kishore, corporators and coopted member SMR Pedababu participated in the kalyanotsavam.

In Adavikolanu village of Nidamarru mandal, Rama temples reverberated with the chants of ‘Jai Sri Rama', ‘Kodanda Rama', and ‘Janaki Rama'. The idols of Lord Rama and His consort Sita were decorated with flowers. ‘Jeelakarra bellam’ was put on the heads of the deities and the mangalasutram was tied with scores of devotees witnessing. Food was served to hundreds of devotees and the needy.