Hundreds of devotees had ‘darshan’ of Lord Sri Suryanarayana Swamy in the early hours on Tuesday when sun rays directly touched the presiding deity.
The sun rays fell on the Dwajasthambam through the ‘gopuram’ of the temple and touched the God’s feet for nine minutes starting 6.21 a.m.
It was considered a rare occasion as sunrays never stayed for more than four minutes in the recent past. The devotees, who were disappointed on Monday, were happy on Tuesday morning after witnessing the rare event.
It is likely to occur on Wednesday too.
The temple was built in such a way that the early morning rays of the sun fall on the feet of the deity twice a year, in March and in October, even when the five entrance gates are closed.
The sun rays touch the presiding deity in March when the sun moves from ‘Uttarayanam’ to ‘Dakshinayanam’.
It happens again in October when the sun moves to ‘Uttarayanam’.
Chief priest Ippili Sankara Sarma and others offered special prayers to the presiding deity and explained District Collector P. Lakshmi Nrusimham about the architecture of the temple which allows sunrays to enter inside the sanctum sanctorum though the distance from entrance was more than 300 metres. He said that their forefathers Ippili China Sanyasulu and Pedasanyasulu designed the ‘gopuram’ with the support of experts to ensure that the sun rays touch the feet of the deity.
The temple was built in such a way that the early morning rays of the sun fall on the feet of the deity twice a year
Chief priest Ippili Sankara Sarma and others offer special prayers to the presiding deity
