People participating in large numbers in Suryanamaskaram marked this year’s Rathasaptami on Thursday. Devotees thronged the few Sun god’s temples in the city and district to perform puja to Sri Suryanarayana Swamy on his birth day and sought his blessings.
The Dharma Rakshana Parishad of the Endowments Department in association with the Sri Kanakamahalakshmi and Sri Varahalakshminrusimha Swamy Devasthnams organised mass Suryanamaskaram programme at the Ramakrishna beach. It would do a lot of good to people if Suryanamaskarams were performed in the early hours every day, regional coordinator of the Parishad G.R.K. Prasad said.
The participants started gathering at the beach since 5 a.m. and completed the Suryanamaskaram with the guidance of Yoga teachers as the sun started climbing up the sky above the sea. A group of children also performed Suryanamaskarams.
Later, prasadam was distributed. Deputy Commissioner of Endowments N.V.S.N. Murthy, Executive Officer of Kanakamahalakshmi temple D. Bhramarambha, Assistant Commissioner S. Sujatha and others participated.
Around 120 trainees attending the Yoga classes at Andhra University’s Yoga Village performed Suryanamaskaram on the beach opposite the Yoga Village. Registrar K. Rama Mohana Rao said the sun was worshipped as the god of health and explained the significance of the Aditya Hridayam. This was for the first time that the Yoga Village organised Suryanamaskaram on a large scale. A professor of Yoga Village Ramesh Babu explained how Suryanamaskarams and praying the sun god would improve health.
Rathasaptami was celebrated at the Sri Suryanarayana Swamy temple at Venkateswara Metta in Allipuram. Special pujas and Panchamruta Abhishekams were performed to the idols of Sri Suryanarayana Swamy and His consorts.