Braving scorching heat and stifling humidity, tens of thousands of devotees watched the grand celestial wedding of Lord Rama with Sita held amid spiritual exuberance in Bhadrachalam on Friday.
A wave of spirituality pervaded Bhadrachalam, the abode of Lord Rama located on the banks of the Godavari, on the occasion of Sri Rama Navami even as the temple town sizzled with temperature soaring over 43 degree Celsius.
The Mithila stadium, venue of the celestial wedding, echoed with spiritual chants in praise of Lord Rama during the glittering Sri Sitarama Kalyana Mahotsavam.
Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, along with his wife Shobha, attended the celestial wedding.
Mr Rao presented mutyala talambralu and pattuvastrams to Lord Sitarama on behalf of the State government in line with the long-standing tradition.
Union Minister of State for Labour Bandaru Dattatreya and Deputy Chief Minister Kadiyam Srihari among others attended the celebration.
Some ardent devotees of “Bhadradri Rama” from Jangareddygudem and a few other places of West Godavari district in Andhra Pradesh arrived in the temple town on foot carrying "Goti talambralu" after traversing long distancesas part of their “annual deeksha”.
The two-and-a-half-hour elaborate ceremony was held in an atmosphere enlivened by spiritual bliss in the Kalyana Mandapam on the premises of colourfully decked up Mithila stadium.
The idols of Lord Rama and Sita were tastefully adorned with glittering jewellery – Pachala Pathakam and Chintaku Pathakam donated by saint-composer Bhakta Ramadasu.
Lord Rama was united in sacred wedlock with Sita in the auspicious Abhijit Lagnam as the devotees soaked in devotional fervour.
Though around 200 fans, 40 air-coolers and a few air-conditioners were arranged in different parts of the Mithila stadium, they were of little help to the large gathering of thousands of devotees due to the heat wave conditions.
The humid and sultry conditions prompted many devotees to scramble for water sachets provided by the government departments at the venue. The Mithila stadium adjoining the main temple complex has virtually turned into a fortress with scores of policemen being deployed for bandobust duty.
Fifteen CCTV cameras were installed in the stadium for electronic surveillance.
