Fisherfolk Worship Gangamma on Tsunami Anniversary Day

Visakhapatnam: Fisherfolk offered prayers to the ocean at Pedda Jalaripeta marking the 19th anniversary of the 2004 Tsunami calamity in Visakhapatnam.
 
They gathered in their thousands and prayed to the ocean to save their families from calamities like tsunamis. Since 2005, it has been a tradition for fishermen to worship the ocean on Dec 26 every year.

Fisherfolk first performed puja at home and offered turmeric saffron to the goddess at the Gangamma temple in Pedda Jalaripeta. Then they went to the shore and performed the special pooja to the sea.
 
Union fisheries minister Rupal Para Purushotham participated in the programme as the chief guest. State animal husbandry minister Sridhar Appalaraju, Rajya Sabha members GVL Narasimha Rao, Visakha MP MVV Satyanarayana and YV Subbareddy, constituency MLA Velagapudi Ramakrishna Babu along with fishermen and representatives of fishing village associations participated in the prayers.

Rupal Para Purushotham also inaugurated the bronze statue of former Visakha Dairy chairman the late Adari Tulsi Rao at Sri Vijaya Visakha dairy premises.