The wedding of Lord Sri Rama and Sita was organised on the Sri Rama Navami with much pomp and religious fervour across the State on Saturday.
At Tirumala, the auspicious occasion was celebrated at the hill shrine of Lord Venkateswara. Snapana Thirumanjanam was performed to the deities of Lord Rama, Lakshmana, Sita and Hanuman at Ranganayakula Mandapam inside the temple complex. Later in the evening, the deities were taken out in a grand procession around the mada streets and the priests organised ‘Sri Rama Jananam’ during the Asthanam at Bangaru Vakili.
In Ongole, the festival was organised in a grand manner among various other temples, at the 102-year temple at Ramagiri and historic Ranganayaka temple at Chadalawada. ‘Gandha Mahotsavam’ was organised at Santhapeta Sai Baba temple with participation of Muslim brethren. In Chittoor, huge crowds thronged Sri Kodandarama Swamy temple in Piler. The temples at Somala, Rayalapeta, Nimmanapalle and Madanapalle saw the wedding which was followed by Harikathas and skits depicting the birth of Lord Rama. In V. Kota, people took part in the Kumbhabhishekam ritual at the Rama temple. The temple of Lord Pattiramaswamy at Valmikipuram in Piler constituency was gracefully decorated. Temple priests said that the Kalyanotsavam will be performed at this temple on March 31. Religious fervour marked Sri Ramanavami in different parts of East Godavari district including at the ancient Sri Kodanda Rama temple at Gollalamamidada of Pedapudi mandal. Collector H. Arun Kumar and his wife presented ‘Pattu Vastralu’ and ‘Mutyala Talambralu’ on behalf of the State government to the presiding deities.
The festival was celebrated in a grand way at Sri Sitaramachandra Swami, Shirdi Sai temple complex in police quarters and at Seethampeta Ramalayam. Meanwhile, in Srikakulam, Uttarandhra Sadhu Parishad and Viswa Hindu Parishad hailed the official celebration of Sri Ramanavami at Ramateertham in Vizianagaram district along with Vontimitta Kodandarama Alayam of Kadapa district. TTD EO D. Sambasiva Rao presented Silk Vastrams to Sri Rama temple at Bhadrachalam. The TTD has made it a practice to present Vastrams to all major temples in AP and Telangana on special occasions since 1997.
