Price rise fails to deter revellers in Ongole

Giant Narakasura effigy goes up in flames

Blowing up a ‘demon’: Revellers capturing the burning Narakasura effigy on their smart phones during Deepavali celebrations in Ongole on Thursday.

In keeping with the tradition, a 38-ft Narakasura effigy packed with a variety of crackers was set ablaze to mark the annihilation of the demon king by Lord Krishna along with Satyabhama as depression spared Ongole on Thursday.

Revellers vied with one another in capturing the awe-inspiring event in their smart phones as a girl posing herself as goddess Satyabhama, an incarnation of Mahalakshmi, shot an arrow.

According to legend, Satyabhama aided eagle-mounted Krishna in annihilating the demon king in fulfilment of the latter's wish.

Young and old alike occupied every inch of space at the C.V.N. Reading Room Centre to witness the re-enactment of the killing of Narakasura, the son of mother earth organised by the Ongole Friends Club for the fifth consecutive year. Tiny tots dressed like Lord Krishna and his consort Satyabhama hogged the limelight, at the event attended by, among others, Ongole MLA D. Janardhana Rao and Club president Tata Badrinath.

Play staged

Meanwhile, it was fun all night on the Gandhi road as thespians came in two tastefully-decorated chariots from the Kothapatnam Bus Stand Centre to the Gandhi Road to narrate the ‘Narakasura vadha’ story through Telugu padyams. The artists won a huge round of applause as the actor posing as Lord Krishna hurled an object resembling ‘Sudarshana Chakra’ to kill the demon king.

Singer Sk. Ismail, who anchored the event, explained the significance of the celebrations of the festival of lights saying thatbefore dying, the asura had sought a boon from Lord Krishna that his death anniversary should be celebrated by all people on the earth.

With the weather system sparing Ongole, revellers burst crackers all night undeterred by the increase in the cost of all crackers thanks to the Goods and Services tax (GST).

Cracker shops did brisk business at the 11th hour as people thronged the shops at the PVR Boys High School grounds and other places in the town to buy items of their choice.

Women decorated their houses with flowers and rangoli and offered special pooja to the goddess of wealth after preparing a variety of mouth-watering dishes as prasadam .