Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy on Friday performed ‘Bhoomi Puja’ for the first phase of temple development works worth ₹351 crore at the historic Sri Seetha Ramachandra Swamy temple in Bhadrachalam, coinciding with Srirama Navami festival.
The phase-I temple development works, including development of ghats on the banks of Godavari river and pilgrim amenities at the 17th century temple, dedicated to Lord Rama, are scheduled to be completed before Godavari Pushkaralu-2027.
A devotional fervour pervaded the temple town, popularly known as ‘Dashina Ayodhya’ on the occasion of Srirama Navami with hordes of devotees witnessing the ‘Sri Sita Rama Kalyana Mahotsavam’ held at the flower-bedecked Mithila stadium.
Mr. Revanth Reddy along with his wife Geetha attended the celestial wedding. Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, Ministers Tummala Nageswara Rao, Ponguleti Srinivasa Reddy, Konda Surekha and Vakiti Srihari, DGP Shivdhar Reddy, and Endowments Commissioner M. Hanumantha Rao were among those present.
The Chief Minister presented ‘mutyala talambralu’ and ‘pattu vastrams’ on behalf of the State government at the celestial wedding. Offerings of silk clothes and Mutyala Talambralu were also made by the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams and the Srirangam Ranganathaswamy Temple.
Spiritual ecstasy marked the celestial wedding of Lord Rama with His consort Sita in the auspicious ‘Abhijit lagnam’. The Mithila stadium was the venue for the celestial wedding of Lord Rama and his consort, Seetha Devi, in the presence of thousands of devotees, who watched the sacred ceremony with utmost devotion. The ceremonies for the celestial wedding started as early as 2.30 a.m. and continued till 9.30 a.m. The ceremonies included Abhishekam, Druvamurthula Kalyanam and Alankaram. Later, the idols of Lord Rama and Seetha were taken in a grand procession to the Kalyana Mandapam with the devotees performing kolatam.
Amid chanting of Vedic hymns, the rituals were performed as per scriptures led by chief priest Amaravadi Vijayaraghavan and other temple priests. The ‘Pattabisheka Mahotsavam’ will be held at the same venue in Bhadrachalam on Saturday (March 28).