Thousands of devotees witnessed the celestial wedding of Sri Rama with his consort Sita, organised by Sri Ramaswamy Devasthanam at Ramatheerthaalu in Nellimarla mandal on Tuesday. The idols of Sri Rama, Sita, and Lakshmana were tastefully decorated with flowers and brought in a procession to the open area where the ‘utsav’ was conducted.
Amid chanting of Vedic hymns by a number of priests, beating of drums and avid exposition by Sanskrit scholar Manapragada Sesha Sai and Dhulipala Mahadeva Mani about the celestial wedding and importance of Ramatheertha Kshetram captivated devotees throughout the celebrations. Former MP Botcha Jhansi Lakshmi participated in the celebrations. Collector Kantilal Dande presented silk clothes offered by the TTD Devasthanams.
Devotees thronged the temple since early hours to offer prayers to the presiding deities. The devasthanam officials made elaborate arrangements to meet the rush. The officials offered buttermilk and water packets to the devotees. RTC operated special services from all its depots in the district. Police made elaborate bandobast at the temple.
At Thotapalem Balaji Temple in the fort town, temple committee secretary Surya Bhagavan said that the activities like ‘Melukolupu, Nivedana, Mangala Sesanam, etc, began since early hours and appreciated devotees who thronged the temple in good number for their assistance. At the century-old Ramalayam at Konisa Veedhi, trustee of the temple Rampuri Guru Murty said that kalyanotsavam was being conducted after about three decades at the temple, which his grandfather built a century ago.
