Grand celebrations unfold as Ayodhya's new temple inaugurated
Tirupati: A vibrant hue of saffron enveloped various parts of Andhra Pradesh as devotees and residents rejoiced in the inauguration of the Lord Sri Rama temple in Ayodhya on Monday.
Visakhapatnam was spiritually charged during the Prana Pratishtha, as was reflected in an event at the Simhachalam Devasthanam. The event attracted political leaders, including BJP Rajya Sabha member G.V.L. Narasimha Rao, Mayor Golagani Hari, JS city president Vamsikrishna Yadav etc.
Mayor Hari and his spouse performed a special puja at Sitaramanjaneya Swamy Temple. They received Teertha Prasad to mark the idol consecration event in Ayodhya. BJP district president Ravindra Medapati organised a Sitarama Kalyanam at the Isukathota Ram Temple. Narasimha Rao expressed joy over the culmination of a 500-year wait. Rallies chanting Sri Rama were organised in different locations.
In the erstwhile districts of Krishna and Guntur, people celebrated the consecration of Ram Mandir in a big way. They visited temples and took part in Nagara Sankirtan and Bhajans while the temple priests performed the Sita Rama Kalyanam.
The temple authorities arranged big screens on their premises to watch the event live. Devotees performed rituals at Kodandamarama temple and at the Siva Kameswara temple.
Some people living in gated communities too celebrated the event by lighting Diyas and burning fireworks apart from performing rituals to mark the occasion.
In Mantralayam of Kurnool district, Monday saw chants of Lord Rama's name, coinciding with Ayodhya's Bala Rama ceremony.
The installation of the Ekashila Rama statue, near Mantralayam Goshala by Raghavendra Swamy Mutt, was accompanied by Vedic chanting and processions.
In Kurnool city, Sitarama Kalyanam and a Shobha Yatra were conducted. The Sri Ramanatha Vedanta Pracharamandali Sangham organised events like Sri Sitarama Kalyanotsavam and Sri Rama Pattabhishekam with devotion.
A recitation of the complete Valmiki Ramayana took place at TTD’s Dharmagiri Veda Vignana Peetham in Tirumala. Special pujas were performed to Lord Venkateswara, Seetha, Lakshmana, Anjaneya sametha Sri Rama. Faculty and students recited over 20,000 shlokas under principal K.S.S. Avadhani's guidance.
In Tirupati city, TTD organised an Annamaiah Sankeertana Akhanda Maha Yajna at the Annamacharya Kala Mandiram. Artists garlanded Annamacharya's statue, singing Sankeertanas in a procession.
The Yajna involved continuous chanting of Sankeertanas for 24 hours.
Ram Charit Manas couplets were the preferred soundtrack at shops and temples in the pilgrim city. Homes were adorned and locals greeted visitors amid well-decorated lanes with flowers and Lord Rama cutouts.
In Srikalahasti, special pujas were held at the Pattabhirama Temple, followed by a procession of Sri Seetha Sametha Sri Rama, Lakshmana, and Anjaneya Swamy idols. Local MLA Biyyapu Madhusudhan Reddy and others distributed Akshintalu from Ayodhya to the devotees.
A procession of Ramachandra Prabhu on Hanumantha Vahanam was held in the mada streets.
In Anantapur, Bhajans and Hanuman Chalisa Parayanam took place at all Hanuman and Lord Sriram temples in the region with huge crowds of devotees taking part. Paruchur Ramesh, the trustee of the Bhaktha Hanuman temple, where the biggest statue in South India is located in Anantapur, recalled that the Hanuman temple was consecrated by the Pejawar senior pontiff a few years ago.
The people of the former east and west Godavari districts celebrated Monday as the Ayodhya Rama festival day. Villages were adorned with rangolis, and sounds of Sri Rama Keerthanas resonated in both Vaishnava and Shiva temples.
Some temples performed Sitha Rama Kalyanam. Hindu families decorated houses with mango leaves, lit lamps like Diwali, and burst crackers before Rama temples at the time of the Ayodhya consecration.
A Sitharama Kalyanam event was performed in Kanavaram village, while Marwadis in Kakinada held a procession with saffron flags, chanting "Jai Sri Ram." Devotees in Sriram Nagar organised a Shobha Yatra, distributing sweets as Prasadam.
Temples resonated with Sri Rama Nama. BJP leaders participated in puja programmes and organised Palanquin processions. They distributed Prasadam to the devotees.
The Ayyappa Swamy Temple in Rajamahendravaram arranged big TV screens for devotees to witness the consecration, accompanied by Bhajans and lamp lighting.
Processions were also held in Bhimavaram, Palakollu, Samalkot, Razole, Eluru and other places.
