Sri Sri Siddheswaraananda Bharathi Mahaswamy was in Visakhapatnam recently. Achiever of doctoral degrees in Telugu and Sanskrit as Venkata Lakshmi Vara Prasada Rao (his original name), he was addressed as Prasada Raya Kulapathi as the head of the departments of Telugu and Sanskrit of Hindu College, Guntur and later as its principal.
Gaining wisdom by assimilating scriptures and their spiritual aspects, he adapted himself to sanyasaasram. He became the Kurtalam Siddheswari Peethaadhipathi and became a much sought-after spiritual guru. From then onwards, he came to be popularly known as Paramahamsa Parivraajakaacharya Sadguru Sree Sree Siddheswaraananda Bharathi Swamy.
On invitation, he also took up the reigns of the Sree Lalitha Peetham at Visakhapatnam. The management committee led by its president C.S. Rao (founder-president of Praja Spandana) grandly celebrated his 74th birthday at Gurajada Kalakshetram on the evening of January 23. In return, the Bharathi Swamy gave a series of lectures on Sivagaadha Lahari for the benefit of public from that day at the same venue. He personally supervised the four-day Brahmotsavam of the Lalitha Peetham and Lalitha Ammavari Kalyanotsavam held in between.
Tens of thousands of people from all walks of life attended his five day discourse. Narrating, critically analysing and explicating the attributes of Siva Sakthi, he made everybody feel as if he brought down Siva along with Parvathi into their midst in their various forms as they appear in the stories.
The analysis of Dakshayagnam, Sathee Sahagamanam, destruction of the yagna, and Siva Parvathi (Hymavathi) Kalyanam, with the unseen help of Manmadha and Kumarasambhavam, were the pieces de resistance.
