The district headquarters town is all set to celebrate Vooru Panduga (village festival) in a grand manner on Sunday. Wooden idols of different goddesses to be taken out in processions and installed at their abodes in four corners of the town are ready.
The festival, celebrated every year on Chavithi day of Ashadam which generally falls on Sunday, sees the entire town coming alive with all its residents taking part in the celebrations. The festival begins with the wooden idols of Yellamma, Vooradamma, Poshamma, Mysamma, Uppalamma, Oddemma, Chinnamma and Peddamma being taken on a procession from Agladatla in Ashoka street to Sirnapally Gadi.
Family members of Vadla Lakshman, who inherited the responsibility of making the idols, and Vadla Dharmaraj, Ravi and Satyam have been on the job since the last week. Sarva Samaj Samithi comprising representatives from all communities and headed by former MLA Yendala Lakshminarayana have made all the arrangements for the festival.
The festival is celebrated to appease the village goddesses for bountiful rains, good harvest and wellbeing of humans and livestock. Earlier, it used to be celebrated in a different way by butchering a buffalo and preparing ‘sari’ (prasadam) with its vital parts and blood to be distributed all over the town. However, this practice came to an end and it’s now limited to sacrificing goats, sheep and hens in large numbers.
According to Ravinder Durgam, a scholar on Telangana culture and history, the festival has been celebrated since 14th Century in Telangana. However, it is conducted in different forms in different areas, he added.
First, the idols would be taken to a temple at Quilla and after some special pujas, people would take them in cradles to all parts of the town along with ‘sari’. This would be over by Sunday late afternoon.
Superintendent of Police P. Vishwa Prasad said security arrangements were in place to avoid any untoward incident. Special teams have been formed and deployed in sensitive areas. He appealed to people to celebrate the festival in a peaceful manner.
