Priests performed Rudra Puja at the Rudraksha Vanam on the north-east corner of the Srisailam temple on Sri Adisankaracharya jayanti on Friday for prosperity and well-being of the country.
Sri Rudra Murthy idol was installed and abhishekam was performed with panchamrutham, sugarcane juice, sandal water, bhasmodakam, pushpodakam, bilwodakam, sugandhodakam and holy river waters.
Nearly 58 litres of milk, 11 litres each of curd, ghee, honey, sugarcane juice and coconut water were used in the hour-long abhishekam. The priests prayed to Rudra Murthy wishing that the Krishna river should have ample water and give crop yields and that the Srisailam dam should be strong and safe.
Later special pujas were performed in the Sankara mandiram near Paladhara and Panchadhara. Priests performed abhishekam to Sri Chandramouleeswara Swamy, Sri Sarada Devi and Sri Adisankaracharya, offered pushparchana and mahanivedana.
Vedic pandits recited verses from the four Vedas.
Adisankaracharya performed penance near Paladhara and Panchadhara and authored Sivananda Lahari, they said. Srisailam was the only pilgrim centre and Sri Mallikharjuna Swamy and Bhramaramba Devi were the only deities mentioned by the sage in Sivananda Lahari. He wrote in Yoga Rathnavali that he wished to attain samadhi at Srisailam, they said.
Discourse
Nori Narayana Murthy of Tenali gave discourse on Sri Adisankaracharya’s childhood, education, sanyasa deeksha, his devotion, foresight, equality and his works.