AP Declares Dasara a ‘State Festival’ in Eight Temples

Vijayawada:The Andhra Pradesh government has declared Dasara a state festival in eight temples. The state would offer Rs 50 lakh to each of these shrines from the Common Good Fund towards grandly arranging the festivities.

The temples are the Durga Malleswara Swamy Varla Devasthanam in Vijayawada, the Varalakshmi Narasimha Swamy Vari Devasthanam in Simhachalam, the Veera Venkata Sathyanarayana Swamy Vari Devasthanam in Annavaram, the Venkateswara Swamy Vari Devasthanam in Dwaraka Tirumala, the Srikalahasti temple at Srikalahasti, the Bhramaramba Mallikarjuna Swamy Varla Devasthanam in Srisailam, the Paramahamsa Thalli Ammavaru temple in Parvathipuram Manyam and the Manikyamba Sametha Bheemeswara Swamy temple.

The endowments department said declaring Dasara a state festival in the select temples meant that a representative from the state government will present the silk robes (Patti Vastralu) to the deity in a ceremonial manner. This would be done with full temple honours amid chanting of Vedic hymns by priests as part of the Navratri festivities.

Endowments commissioner Satyanarayana said, “We have selected eight temples for this purpose and are giving `50 lakh each to them for the first time.”

Temples in the state started the Dasara celebrations on Thursday. The shrines are taking the help of donors to arrange Annadanam, Nitya prasadam etc. During the evening, a religious discourse is being offered by scholars. Cultural activities like Harikatha are also being arranged.

Special queue lines with barricades are arranged, sanitation is being maintained, temples are decked with colourful illumination and security is beefed up in all major temples.

At the Dwaraka Tirumala temple, the prasadam is offered as pulihora and it is organising Harikatha and religious discourses for nine days. They are also performing ‘Samputitha Chandi’ for the "development and prosperity of the state and the country."