Sea Harathi Dazzles Devotees at Manginapudi Beach

 Vijayawada: Minister for mines, geology, and excise Kollu Ravindra said that all necessary arrangements had been made at the Sri Panduranga Swamy temple and Manginapudi beach in Machilipatnam to ensure a smooth and devotional experience for pilgrims on the occasion of Karthika Pournami.

At dawn on Wednesday, the minister took part in special sea rituals led by eminent Vedic scholar Vishnubotla Suryanarayana Sharma. Amid rhythmic chanting by five Vedic priests, a ceremonial sea lamp (Sea Harathi) was lit using turmeric, vermilion, and floral offerings, marking the beginning of the sacred sea bath — which the minister himself performed alongside devotees.

Speaking to the media, Ravindra said Karthika Masam is a spiritually significant month marked by fasting and the lighting of lamps. He noted that lakhs of devotees traditionally take holy dips at Manginapudi beach on Pournami, similar to the Ganga Harathi performed daily in Kashi. Hence, a Sea Harathi was organised this year to celebrate Andhra Pradesh’s cultural and spiritual heritage.

The minister said elaborate arrangements were made for sanitation, security, and crowd management. Temporary toilets, changing rooms, over three lakh drinking water packets, and free prasadam from major temples were provided. Children were served hot milk and tagged with identity bands for safety.

Ravindra also visited the ICDS stall, served milk to children, and participated in prasadam distribution before performing special pujas at the Sri Datta Rameshwara and Nagarameshwara temples.

The beach and temple premises reverberated with devotional chants from early morning, as thousands of devotees took part in the rituals. Floodlights, watch towers, rescue teams, and police personnel ensured the smooth conduct of the event. Senior district officials, priests, and devotees participated in the grand celebrations.