The small Kodandarama Swami temple in the Irrigation office compound has suddenly grown in stature with Water Resources Minister Devineni Umamaheswara Rao offering pearls and silk robes to the deity on Sri Rama Navami day.
The Minister, accompanied by his wife Anupama and daughter, offered ‘muthyala talambralu’ and silk robes on the occasion of the Sita Rama Kalyanam, the celestial wedding of the divine couple.
The Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, on behalf of the State Government, traditionally offers pearls and silk robes at Bhadrachalam on the occasion.
After bifurcation, however, the Kodandarama temple in Vontimitta came into the limelight with Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu presenting pearls and silk robes to the deities. But as per tradition, the wedding muhurtam of the divine couple at the Vontimitta shrine is different to that observed by the Bhadrachalam shrine. It is nine days later and that too in the evening. This year too the Chief Minister and Governor E.S.L. Narasimhan will represent the State Government.
The practice was started by Tanishah of the Qutb Shahi kingdom in the 17{+t}{+h}Century. After two persons who identified themselves as Ramoji and Laxmoji repaid the debt of Kacherla Gopanna, popularly known as Ramadas, Tanishah became an admirer of Lord Rama. Ever since that day, he earmarked the income from the Palawoncha Paragana, which came to about Rs. 20,000, a huge amount those days, for the maintenance of the temple. This was continued throughout the Qutb Shahi reign. Both items were sent to Bhadrachalam as a tradition on the Sri Rama Navami day through a special emissary.
Of late,the tradition became a popular practice with well-to-do devotees taking it up at smaller shrines. But a Minister offering them at the same muhurtam in a smaller shrine has given it special significance. The klyanam ended in a feast for all the employees of the department where choicest festival dishes were served.
