he priest, who is always a Lambada tribal, of Tulja Bhavani temple located at Pedda Munigal village of Chandampet mandal, will be on fasting for nine-days accepting no food or water during Dasara.
He will accept just a cup of milk in mornings and evenings, but continue to perform pujas to the presiding deity every day.
The age-old practice was there in this village since 1850. The post of the priest comes by hierarchy to Kethavath’s family in the village.
Speaking to The Hindu , the 6th and current priest, Kethavath Jeevan Bhagawath, said that their ancestors had introduced this practice as the goddesses Bhavani appeared in the dreams of then priest and asked him to go on fast during Navaratri for the well-being of tribal people.
The family members of Jeevan Kumar have continued the tradition for the past 165 years.
The priest’s family feels that they were only born to discharge their duty as priest of the temple. Jeevan Kumar took up the job quitting his studies when he was in class X in 1997, as his father Chandu Bhagwath died.
Lashkar Bhagwath, the elder brother of Jeevan Kumar’s grandfather Gyma Bhagawath held this post for over 80 years because he lived for over 100 years.
This year, the priest will start his fast on October 13 and end it at 5p.m. on October 21. Even without taking the food, the priest has to perform all pujas to presiding deity during nine days apart from blessing the visiting devotees. On the first eight days, devotees from neighbouring villages will visit the place, but Pedda Munigal witnesses the largest congregation of tribals on every Dasara day.
Jeevan Kumar said over one lakh people most of them Lambada tribals from Andhra Pradesh and Telangana gather at this temple.
On October 23, the tribals will slaughter over 20,000 goats and sheep to appease the goddesses.
After impounding the water in Nagarjunasagar in 1967, the Pedda Munigal village was submerged in the water except the temple. The water also entered the sanctum sanctorum when the water was impounded to full reservoir level.
The displaced villagers, who shifted their habitations to other side of temple, held special pujas praying the goddess for protection of temple.
The villagers say that the water never entered the temple after this puja was performed even when the water was impounded to FRL in the project. A good number of villagers were displaced under Nagarjunasagar in Chandampet mandal of Telangana State when many tribal people had shifted their habitations to other places.
Some of the Kethavath’s family members also shifted to Devarcherla village where they constructed a Amba Bhavani Temple in recent years and introduced the tradition.
One of the Kethavath’s family member, Bajrang Bhagwath, who was appointed as priest, would fast in that temple.
the priest will start his fast on October 13 and end it at
5 p.m. on October 21. Even without taking the food, the priest has to perform all pujas to presiding deity
