Make Gangamma Jatara fete a grand success: Bhumana Karunakar Reddy

Tirupati: City MLA Bhumana Karunakar Reddy called upon the people of the pilgrim city to join in the annual Gangamma Jatara to make the week-long spiritual carnival a grand success and celebrate the festival as Brahmotsavams. The MLA along with Corporation Mayor Dr Sirisha, Deputy Mayor Mudra Narayana, temple committee chairman Katta Gopi Yadav and executive officer Munikrishnaiah released the Jatara posters at the Gangamma temple premises on Tuesday.

Speaking on the occasion, the MLA said, "We all feel proud that Tatayagunta Gangamma temple has become the first folk Goddess temple to get its annual Jatara celebrated as a State festival."

The tradition of bringing sare from the Tirumala temple to Gangamma, believed to be sister of Sri Venkateswara Swamy, has been continuing every year, for the past five centuries, he said adding

that this year the ceremonial sare presentation will be observed in a grand manner involving the TTD and government officials.

As part of massive publicity for the Jatara, he said devotees will be publicly invited through 50,000 wall posters which will be displayed in the city and also other places adding that the Gangamma Jatara will start on May 9 and it will end on May 17.

He reminded that the State government recently issued orders for the spiritual carnival to be observed as a State festival from this year on the instructions of Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy.

YSRCP leaders Doddareddy Sidda Reddy, corporator Ramaswamy Venkateswarlu, Thondamanati Venkatesh Reddy, Rajendra, Kumar, Krishnaveni, Chandra, Murali and others were present.