Harikadha festival gets under way

Founder-president of Sri Adibhatla Sri Kalapeetham and actor Vadlamani Kalyani performing 'ksheerabhishekam' to the statue of Harikadha Pitamaha Adibhatla Narayanadasu on the Beach Road in the city Monday.—PHOTO: C.V. SUBRAHMANYAM

A three-day Harikadha festival got off to a start on Monday marking the 151st birth anniversary of Adibhatla Narayanadasu, called Harikadha Pitamaha.

A ‘ksheerabhishekam’ was performed to the statue of Narayanadasu on the Beach Road by Head of the Department of Journalism of Andhra University P. Bobby Vardhan and Vadlamani Kalyani, actor, harikadha exponent and president of Sri Adibhatala Sri Kalapeetham. BJP leader Cheruvu Ramakotaiah and Vamsikrishna Srinivas Yadav participated.

Later a ‘nagara sankirtana’ was performed from the statue along the Beach Road with several ‘bhagavatars’ also participating.

Portrait garlanded

Later, at Karakachettu Polamamba temple, the venue of the three-day festival, a portrait of Narayanadasu was garlanded.

Tanuku Viswanadha Bhagavatar of West Godavari gave a detailed account of the illustrious life of Narayanadasu. It was followed by Kolapalli Kalyani’s ‘Parvati Kalyanam’ harikadha.