Teppotsavam , the celestial cruise of Lord Rama and his consort Sita, was held in the Godavari amid much fanfare and dazzling display of fireworks in Bhadrachalam on Wednesday evening.
The annual ritual was celebrated with great enthusiasm a day ahead of Vaikunta Ekadasi slated for Thursday.
The colourful event attracted thousands of devotees from across the State and elsewhere in the country.
The number of devotees has nearly doubled this year as the mega religious event was held coinciding with the New Year’s eve.
Endowments Minister A. Indrakaran Reddy, Forest Minister Jogu Ramanna, Bhadrachalam MLA Sunnam Rajaiah, Collector K. Ilambarithi and others were present.
Earlier, the utsav idols of Lord Rama and his consort Sita were brought to the banks of the river in an impressive ceremonial procession amid chanting of Vedic hymns.
The colourfully illuminated Hamsa Vahanam carrying the utsav idols moved graciously in the Godavari leaving its enchanting reflection in the placid waters and the devotees spellbound.
Meanwhile, the authorities have made elaborate arrangements for the Uttara Dwara Darshanam , the mega religious ritual, to be held from 4 a.m. to 6 a.m. on the occasion of Vaikunta Ekadasi at Sri Sitaramachandra Swamy temple in Bhadrachalam on Thursday.
