Visakhapatnam: 'Varada Payasam' for bounteous rains

Visakhapatnam: Here, the 'Payasam' (dessert) is not made to serve people or savour but to offer to 'Vaikunta Vasudu' and spill down from the rocks of Simhachalam hills. The ritual 'Varada Payasam' is carried out at Simhachalam Devasthanam to appease and invoke the Rain God for bounteous rains. The deities of Lord Vaikunta Narayanudu and His consorts Sridevi and Bhudevi were given a celestial bath and decked up ahead for the ceremony held amid Vedic chants, prayers and special homam.

Vishwaksena Puja, Punyahavachanam, Panchamrutha Abhishekam and Kalasaraadhana form a part of the ceremony.

A huge cauldron was set on fire to prepare the Payasam. Once done, the sweetened kheer was offered to Lord 'Vaikunta Vasudu' and then made to spill down from the north direction of the hills.

The annual ritual that is aimed to invoke the Rain God, archakas say, works wonders during delayed monsoon. Even as the Varada Payasam was dished out for the ceremony observed on Wednesday, parts of Visakhapatnam received mild showers.

Sthanacharyulu TP Raja Gopal, in-charge chief priest G Srinivasacharyulu and Archaka K Sitaramacharyulu reiterate that when the region gets deprived of rains, such ritual would gain larger significance. "Apparently, every time we carry out the ritual, the Rain God never disappoints us," they say.