‘Velkavadi Mahotsavam’ was celebrated with religious fervour and enthusiasm in Ongole on Saturday.
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Devotees, who had been observing fast for the last 41 days, carried decorated ‘kavadis’ of various sizes and shapes with peacock feathers and bronze bells and offered special prayers to Lord Balasubramanya seeking health, wealth and prosperity.
Some of the devotees pierced their tongue, cheek and other parts of the body with skewers and carried ‘Velkavadi’ from the Patha Sivalayam at Keshavswamypet here to Skandagiri, the hill temple of Lord Kumaraswamy, to mark ‘Aashadam Kirthika’.
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Chants rented the air as the devotees pulled a flower-bedecked chariot of Lord Shanmugha, with His consorts Valli and Devasena, on the occasion.
The festival is held during the ‘Dakshinayana Punyakalam’ when the Sun transits from the northern hemisphere to the southern, festival committee member T. Madhu said. According to ‘Skanda Purana’, the divine child Balamuruga was raised at ‘Saravana Poigai’ by a group of women.
The festival was organised by the local Bullion merchants Association and Gold Workers union. A large number of devotees witnessed a massive ‘Karthika Deepam’ lit by temple priest Subramanyam on the occasion.