The district headquarters town is all set to celebrate the annual Voora Panduga also called Vooru Panduga (village festival) since midnight tonight. It is similar to bonalu festival celebrated in Telugu month of Aashadam elsewhere in Telangana.
Almost all Hindus celebrate this festival. A large number of lambs, rams, goats and poultry are sacrificed right on the streets in front of portraits of deities or stones, which are worshipped since early morning. There will be a lot of hullabaloo and excitement on the streets during the day-long festival.
Sarva samaj temple
In fact, celebration began with the “bandaru” on Tuesday. Idols of Devis carved out of wood by members of a carpenter family would be taken to Sarva Samaj temple at Quilla area on Saturday night.
Prior to that these idols would be taken along with bonalu and the bonalu offered to Goddesses Mutyala Pochamma, Chilukala Chinnamma, Nalla Pochamma, Idu Jatala Pochamma, Mathadi Pochamma and Mahalakshmi. Community supervision
The festival is celebrated under the supervision the Sarva Samaj constituted with elders of 55 castes. Devi idols which are kept at the Sarva Samaj temple would be taken in procession with Sari (food prepared of a cereal mixed with blood and meat of rams) on Sunday morning. The procession would proceed to Pedda Bazar and Sari would be offered to each house on either side of the road.
Residents wait for the auspicious Sari which they sprinkle over their homes and farms. Women and children worship the “ghatas” with lamps and breaking coconuts as the procession goes on. Some walk end to end beneath ghatas.
Leaders pray
Elected representatives of all political parties, officials and non-officials would be present, and worship the deities. on the occasion.
Police make an elaborate bandobust deploying a large number of personnel. They maintain a constant vigil on the movement of the procession and people as it passes through communally sensitive areas.
