Tirupati: Bhumana Karunakar Reddy presents Sare to Gangamma in Jatara
City MLA Bhumana Karunakar Reddy arriving in a procession to the temple to present Sare to the Goddess Gangamma, in Tirupati on Wednesday
Tirupati: The week-long Gangamma Jatara took off on a tumultuous note with the devotees, following the age-old temple practice smeared in Bairagi vesham offering prayers to the folk Goddess, on the first day of the spiritual carnival on Wednesday.
The devotees with families and also in groups came in a procession dancing all the way, amidst ear-piercing drum beats, the unique practice followed by the devotees during the Jatara to the shrine to offer prayers.
The Jatara began after the ceremonial Chatimpu on Wednesday and would go on till 16th of this month in which the ardent devotees in various ‘veshams’ offer prayers to Gangamma while the devotees also offer Sare, a set of items including Sari, turmeric, vermillion and aromatic substances to the Goddess.
City MLA Bhumana Karunakar Reddy along with his family members including his son deputy mayor Abhinay Reddy offered Sare to the Goddess. Karunakar Reddy followed by his followers, party activists and others came in a huge procession, carrying the Sare on his head from his residence in Padmavathi Puram to the shrine, two km away. The drum beats, dancing and people don in various mythological characters depicting the folk Goddess in various forms added more colour and zest to the Jatara.
The priests received the MLA with temple honours and took him into the shrine for darshan after which he was offered theertha prasadams.
Speaking on the occasion, the MLA said the 900-year-old temple constructed during Pallavas period turned a milestone with Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy government declaring the spiritual carnival as ‘state festival’ to give a nationwide recognition to the folk Goddess temple and also approved the reconstruction of the shrine to bring back its past glory.
As a humble activist, I along with my family offered Sare on the auspicious occasion of Jatara, he said refuting criticism against him.
Temple Chairman Katta Gopi Yadav, Mayor Dr R Srisha, Temple EO Munikishnaiah and others were present.