All through the day, different localities in the city buzzed with activity as organisers put up huge pandals, decked up temples with flowers, conducted special ceremonies and celebrated Sri Rama Navami with gaiety and fervour.
Right from strike of the dawn, temples were teeming with people, who stood in serpentine queues to offer prayers to Lord Rama and his consort Sita Devi. Temple committees conducted different programmes on the occasion and people were offered prasadam and panakam.
The Sri Sitarama Kalyana Mahotsava Abhivriddhi Committee at Besant Road conducted an auction of 65-kg laddu, which was specially prepared as part of the celebrations.
It is an annual affair, after the kalyana mahotsavam, the committee conducts the auction and this year it was bid by three businessmen.
Ultimately, Ranganath, bought it for Rs.41,116 and the funds raised out of the auction are used for organising different rituals or any development works, said B. Srinivasa Rao, Assistant Secretary of the Committee.
Likewise, Sri Kondanda Ramalayam at New Rajeev Nagar organised a massive free food distribution programme at the temple in the afternoon.
Over 7,500 people from different sections of the society were provided food at a cost of over Rs. 2 lakh, claimed Guruvaiah, president of the temple trust.
The Sri Ramanjaneya Temple, Giriveedhi in Satyanaranapuram, organised cultural programmes and special bhajans in the temple.
‘Maha harati’This time, apart from food distribution and puja programmes, a ‘maha harati’ was conducted with 108 lamps for the lord on Viswa Hindu Parishad office premises, said T. Jhansi, VHP city unit vice-president.
It was not just temples, even colony welfare associations and resident welfare associations organised special bhajans and ceremonies. The Kuchimanchi Ramarao Charitable Trust conducted the kalyana mahotsavam at Kailash Avenue Apartments in Moghalrajpuram and Sri Venkateswara Nagar Committee performed the kalyana mahotsavam at Loyola College premises
Celebrations on grand scaleThe celestial wedding of Lord Rama and his consort Sita was celebrated on a grand scale in the Guntur district on Tuesday.All Rama, Kodanda Rama and Anjaneya temples were decked up for the festival. Devotees in thousands thronged temples to have a glimpse of the celestial wedding. Rama Navami was also celebrated at Mangalagiri, Narsaraopet, Tenali and Bapatla in the district. Temples distributed ‘prasadam’ and ‘panakam’ to devotees on the occasion.Devotees performed Sita Rama Kalyanam at various places in Guntur by erecting ‘shamiyanas’ on the streets.
