Arasavalli Sun Temple Witnesses Grand Ratha Sapthami
Visakhapatnam: The famous Suryanarayana Swamy Shrine at Arasavalli witnessed a grand Ratha Sapthami on Friday, with Visakha Sarada Peetham head priest Swatmanandendra Saraswati offering first prayer to the Sun God.
Thousands of devotees have been queuing up and having the darshan of Suryanarayana Swamy since Thursday midnight. At 12:30 Swatmanandendra Saraswati performed a special Abhishekam. Soon thereafter, the entire temple premises started resounding with the chanting of Adityanamah.
Chief festival officer M. Vijaya Raju, temple executive officer (EO) Ramesh Babu, temple governing body chairman Ippilijogi Sanyasi Rao, temple head priest Ippili Sankara Sharma and family members of temple renovator late V. Babji welcomed the VIP guests, including ministers Dharmana Prasada Rao, G. Amarnath and Seediri Appalaraju, and Srikakulam MP Rammohan Naidu.
Devotees lined up in queues to catch a glimpse of the Sun God’s “Nijaroopam” that is possible only once in a year on Ratha Sapthami. Worshippers from all over AP and Odisha thronged the temple, which witnessed huge crowds.
Devotees believe that if they have the darshan of Suryanarayana Swamy at Arasavalli Temple on Ratha Sapthami, all sins would be washed away.
Minister Dharmana expressed satisfaction with the arrangements made by all departments in coordination. "It is a pleasure to visit the Kaliyuga God on Ratha Sapthami day,” Seediri Appalaraju stated. However, common devotees complained of inadequate arrangements.