Pournami rituals held with fervour at Srisailam

Srisailam (Nandyal district): Onthe occasion of Pournami on Friday, the Srisaila Devasthanam conducted a series of traditional and spiritually significant rituals in the temple town. Prominent among them was the Laksha Kumkumarchana performed for Goddess Bhramarambika Devi in the evening hours as the Pournami phase set in. Devotees were also given the opportunity to participate through proxy (indirect) service. On this day, 15 devotees availed the paroksha seva, with participants hailing not only from the Telugu states but also from Karnataka, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Odisha and Puducherry. The ritual commenced with Sankalpa and Maha Ganapati Puja, followed by the Laksha Kumkumarchana, which scholars described as highly auspicious and spiritually rewarding.

As part of the Pournami events, the Devasthanam also organised the traditional SrisailaGiripradakshina after the Maha Mangala Haratis of Lord Mallikarjuna and Goddess Bhramaramba.

The pradakshina began at the main temple entrance and passed through Gangadhara Mandapam, Ankalammantemple, Nandi Mandapam, Bailu Veerabhadra Swamy temple, Alankareswaratemple, Sarangadhara Mutt and Hemareddy Mallamma Mandiram, before proceeding via Mahishasuramardini, Rudraksha Mutt and Vibhuti Mutt into Rudravanam.

The circumambulation concluded at the Nandi Mandapam. The initiative aims to offer devotees darshan of ancient mutts and temples while deepening spiritual consciousness. Participating devotees were provided darshan of the Lord after the pradakshina.

Earlier in the day, special abhishekam and pujas were performed for Sri Ankalamman, the village deity of Srisailam, for universal welfare. As part of the regular Friday government service, rituals including abhishekam, special archana, floral decoration and kumkumarchana were conducted.

The ceremony began with Maha Ganapati Puja, followed by sankalpa for the good of the world and elaborate abhishekams using panchamrita, turmeric water, kumkum water, sandalwood water, floral water and pure water.

The Ankalamman temple, situated opposite the main temple road and facing north, is revered as a manifestation of Adi Parashakti, symbolising nature’s divine energies.

Later in the evening, the Devasthanam arranged the PallakiUtsavam and Ooyala Seva for Sri Swamy and Ammavaru in view of Pournami. The PallakiUtsavam, held as a government service on Sundays, Pournami and Moola Nakshatra days, featured ritualistic worship of the processional deities after Ganapati Puja and shodashopachara worship.

Subsequently, the Ooyala Seva was performed after the Laksha Kumkumarchana, with the deities ceremoniously seated on the swing, accompanied by special floral decorations and worship. The Devasthanam informed that devotees unable to visit Srisailam in person can avail parokshaarjita sevas by paying Rs1,116 online through official portals, reinforcing its commitment to inclusive spiritual participation.