AP CM Naidu Offers Silk Robes to Gangamma at Kuppam Jatara

Tirupati:Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and his wife Nara Bhuvaneswari on Wednesday presented silk robes to Goddess Sri Prasanna Tirupati Gangamma temple during the annual Gangamma Jatara celebrations in Kuppam.

The offering was made on behalf of the state government and the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams,in keeping with the long-standing tradition associated with the folk festival.

The couple received a traditional welcome from government whip and MLC K Srikanth, APSRTC vice-chairman PS Muniratnam, temple chairman Ravichandra Babu and other officials on their arrival at the temple. After offering the silk robes, they took part in special rituals and had darshan of the deity.

Addressing devotees, the chief minister said he felt blessed to witness the rare “Viswaroopam Darshanam” of Goddess Gangamma. He prayed for peace, prosperity and happiness for the people of Andhra Pradesh.

Celebrated for centuries, the Gangamma Jatara is regarded as one of the most important religious and cultural festivals in the Kuppam region.

The festivities include rituals such as Agni Gundam, processions of the deity’s head and the Viswaroopa Darshanam conducted on the concluding day. A distinctive feature of the festival is that the idol of the goddess remains without a head for most of the year. On the final night of the Jatara, the head is ceremonially fixed to the idol and unveiled to devotees during the Viswaroopa Darshanam.

The celebrations will conclude with the Jalavasam ritual in the early hours of Thursday, symbolising the immersion of the goddess.

According to local belief, the Jatara is linked to a legend involving Lord Venkateswara and his sister Gangamma. It is believed that after her cheek was severed, parts of it fell in different places including Kuppam. A stone identified as the goddess’s form was later discovered at a burial ground and installed at the present temple site.

The festival attracted thousands of devotees from across the undivided Chittoor district as well as neighbouring Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. District collector Sumit Kumar, SP Tushar Dudi, TTD additional executive officer Venkaiah Chowdary and several others attended the programme.