SRI BHADRACHAL RAM
My friends and relatives nick-named me as Temple Encyclopaedia...but I am not. I love to visit temples...that's all. The quest and curiosity to travel , enabled me to unravel the beauty in Diversity.
If my travelogue helps and prompts the readers, i thank my Lord Rama for the Grace....
Beginning with Chaitra month, which also is the birth month of my Beloved Lord Rama...
celebration of Ramanavami, assumes great significance , in South. The 10 day festival begins with reciting Sampoorna Valmiki Ramayanam till Ramanavami and Pattabhishekam on the following day in
Bhadrachalam, The grand arrangements, is the State festival and the whole town is bedecked with decorations and festive fervour. The elaborate security arrangements, crowd management by the temple administration, in the scorching heat and dry weather is an herculean task. The weather does not deter the milling devotees who throng from various parts of the State including the Chenchu tribes.
I reached Bhadrachalam via Vijayawada. I checked into Srinidhi Residency, a newly opened Hotel, just near the temple. I requested the BM to book my room, as they do not encourage single woman..(.It is a common feature even in Pandharpur or Swamimali or Guruvayur..)..While waiting at the lounge, I saw an open book on the chair..looked like Sri Lalitha Sahasranam in Telugu...the owner nodded...then his wife joined and continued the prayer..She was amazed when I recited..I asked for her name...she said Sita Mahalaxmi...the favorite household name in Andhra...since it was my first visit they told me to buy VIP ticket for Kalyana and Pattabhisheka. celebrations. You have to see to believe the mega scale ..the arrangements, police escort, crowd control, just wonderful and another beauty is... at the helm of affairs is a Lady executive officer..This again I found in Kerala where a lady organized 108th Bhagavath spataham in Alleppey...in 2004-05. These things put you at ease..wonderment...
.I had the darshan of Sree Ram, Sita, Lakshmana bewitching...the evening before Ramanavami they celebrate Ethirkol..... LIKE the bride and groom side highlighting their lineage...chandravams vis Ishvaku vamsa...both the goshtis(group) excelling in their presentation..and the devotees sitting through proceedings, as it is their family wedding..enjoying and applausing...These systems were ordained by Sri Ramanuja Acharya, except the language, sundara Telugu. It was easy to follow and the discipline of the devotees, including tribes, is just unimaginable..
The next day after having darshan, I reached my seat in the enclosure at 7 a.m. only to leave at 1 pm. The marriage was at 12 noon but the decorations, decorated coconuts, seer, purohits performing the rituals...the Divine wedding on Ramanavami day.. is unique...the tambralu and moti (pearls)given by Government to all deveotees....simply marvellous..my host was waiting on the road, spotted me in the milling crowd and ushered me to stand by her...The God with His Beloved consort was following in a palanquin,... wow..they are too attached to the events so minutely, like we were in Trivandrum.
She arranged for meals consisting of puloyogara .. but...I could not eat, as I was fasting that day.
I was feeling blessed, fulfilled as it was my long long desire..to par take in this festival...On the next day
Pushya, the Pattabhisheka of the Lord is held in a decorated Mandap as large like the previous day fesival of Ramanavami/Kalyanam....Again you have to be in your seat atelast 4 hours before the peak time....After the arrival of the State Gvernment officials with the Hon'ble Governor,Pattabhiskeka sarga was recited before anoitation. Many devotees recited the slokas....many of them were writing Sri Rama....The conduct and cooperation of the devotees s worth emulating. The lady next to me said they come every month on pushya.. The crowd disbursed peacefully, after the grand ceremony.
That night, a chariot procession, a must see was a kind order...by my hosts. This is called.piriya vidai .painful parting....(similar to Vaikathashtami..) Initially, she was apprehensive about me...But...then She introduced me to her bedridden mother, brother and family, sisters, their families..Her sister Sathy a Doctorate in music, She wanted me to come again for Godavari festival. I returned with a heavy heart but load of good memories.
I returned by bus to Vijaywada and proceeded to the airport...It was 4 am, an auto driver approached me as I alighted from the bus, I asked for rates, and he said he will come after 30 mts.9after namaz.).The long lonely journey from bus stand to airport at such wee hours was not threatening, do not call it a blind faith, but His faith in Allah and my faith in Ram are one and the same.
It is the oneness of faith in the Almighty that takes us to greater heights...Both are lessons learnt.
My friends and relatives nick-named me as Temple Encyclopaedia...but I am not. I love to visit temples...that's all. The quest and curiosity to travel , enabled me to unravel the beauty in Diversity.
If my travelogue helps and prompts the readers, i thank my Lord Rama for the Grace....
Beginning with Chaitra month, which also is the birth month of my Beloved Lord Rama...
celebration of Ramanavami, assumes great significance , in South. The 10 day festival begins with reciting Sampoorna Valmiki Ramayanam till Ramanavami and Pattabhishekam on the following day in
Bhadrachalam, The grand arrangements, is the State festival and the whole town is bedecked with decorations and festive fervour. The elaborate security arrangements, crowd management by the temple administration, in the scorching heat and dry weather is an herculean task. The weather does not deter the milling devotees who throng from various parts of the State including the Chenchu tribes.
I reached Bhadrachalam via Vijayawada. I checked into Srinidhi Residency, a newly opened Hotel, just near the temple. I requested the BM to book my room, as they do not encourage single woman..(.It is a common feature even in Pandharpur or Swamimali or Guruvayur..)..While waiting at the lounge, I saw an open book on the chair..looked like Sri Lalitha Sahasranam in Telugu...the owner nodded...then his wife joined and continued the prayer..She was amazed when I recited..I asked for her name...she said Sita Mahalaxmi...the favorite household name in Andhra...since it was my first visit they told me to buy VIP ticket for Kalyana and Pattabhisheka. celebrations. You have to see to believe the mega scale ..the arrangements, police escort, crowd control, just wonderful and another beauty is... at the helm of affairs is a Lady executive officer..This again I found in Kerala where a lady organized 108th Bhagavath spataham in Alleppey...in 2004-05. These things put you at ease..wonderment...
.I had the darshan of Sree Ram, Sita, Lakshmana bewitching...the evening before Ramanavami they celebrate Ethirkol..... LIKE the bride and groom side highlighting their lineage...chandravams vis Ishvaku vamsa...both the goshtis(group) excelling in their presentation..and the devotees sitting through proceedings, as it is their family wedding..enjoying and applausing...These systems were ordained by Sri Ramanuja Acharya, except the language, sundara Telugu. It was easy to follow and the discipline of the devotees, including tribes, is just unimaginable..
The next day after having darshan, I reached my seat in the enclosure at 7 a.m. only to leave at 1 pm. The marriage was at 12 noon but the decorations, decorated coconuts, seer, purohits performing the rituals...the Divine wedding on Ramanavami day.. is unique...the tambralu and moti (pearls)given by Government to all deveotees....simply marvellous..my host was waiting on the road, spotted me in the milling crowd and ushered me to stand by her...The God with His Beloved consort was following in a palanquin,... wow..they are too attached to the events so minutely, like we were in Trivandrum.
She arranged for meals consisting of puloyogara .. but...I could not eat, as I was fasting that day.
I was feeling blessed, fulfilled as it was my long long desire..to par take in this festival...On the next day
Pushya, the Pattabhisheka of the Lord is held in a decorated Mandap as large like the previous day fesival of Ramanavami/Kalyanam....Again you have to be in your seat atelast 4 hours before the peak time....After the arrival of the State Gvernment officials with the Hon'ble Governor,Pattabhiskeka sarga was recited before anoitation. Many devotees recited the slokas....many of them were writing Sri Rama....The conduct and cooperation of the devotees s worth emulating. The lady next to me said they come every month on pushya.. The crowd disbursed peacefully, after the grand ceremony.
That night, a chariot procession, a must see was a kind order...by my hosts. This is called.piriya vidai .painful parting....(similar to Vaikathashtami..) Initially, she was apprehensive about me...But...then She introduced me to her bedridden mother, brother and family, sisters, their families..Her sister Sathy a Doctorate in music, She wanted me to come again for Godavari festival. I returned with a heavy heart but load of good memories.
I returned by bus to Vijaywada and proceeded to the airport...It was 4 am, an auto driver approached me as I alighted from the bus, I asked for rates, and he said he will come after 30 mts.9after namaz.).The long lonely journey from bus stand to airport at such wee hours was not threatening, do not call it a blind faith, but His faith in Allah and my faith in Ram are one and the same.
It is the oneness of faith in the Almighty that takes us to greater heights...Both are lessons learnt.
Similar miracles and travel experience when I travelled to Amarnath, via Srinagar escorted by Irshad and Syed as my horseman....
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