A few days ago, pictures of actor Ram Charan (posted by his wife Upasana) performing Abhishekam to the idol of Lord Siva and cleansing the temple surroundings at the Domakonda Fort in Nizamabad district left many awestruck.
Interestingly, this act of the actor during the recent Sivarathri festival was fuelled by the couple’s belief that their wishes would come true upon cleansing the temple premises.
Going a step further, Charan has also been religiously undertaking the 45-day Ayyappa Deeksha for the last decade. He says that the spiritual retreat gives him the much-needed strength to rejuvenate.
The actor is just one of many celebrities who are looking beyond the pressure, glitz and glamour of showbiz, and seeking the spiritual path for calm and peace.
Actor Anushka Shetty at the Sri Mookambika temple.
Admitting that he is under a lot of stress owing to his life as an actor, Charan explains, “Generally, our itineraries are chaotic and unscheduled, and sometimes we have to binge on unhealthy food. We are also constantly under the scanner. So I need the inner strength to help me cope up with the pressure, and that can only come from treading the devotional path.”
Described as the queen of South cinema, Anushka Shetty is also greatly drawn to the spiritual life. Whether it’s her visit to Mookambika temple at Kollur, her regular Lord Balaji’s darshan at Tirupati or a trip to Bappanadu Shri Durgaparameshwari Temple at Mulky, Anushka is constantly seeking solace in spiritual things.
Mohan Babu performs abhishekam on Guru Poornima at Film Nagar.
Says a source close to the actress, “It is Anushka’s spiritual quest that eventually made her get an insight into her true self. Coupled with yoga that keeps her calm and composed, Anushka's spiritual journey has brought about a fundamental transformation in her inner personality.”
Veteran actor Venkatesh also turns to spirituality for a sense of peace and solace. The actor says he wandered into spirituality when he realised the dichotomy of life. Apparently, it is the spiritual path that has helped Venky strike a perfect balance between his personal and professional lives.
“Over the years, the teachings of masters like Ramana Maharishi garu, Swamy Vivekananda, etc., have influenced my life a lot and I was able to find answers in their works. The Advaita path has helped me to look at something beyond myself,” he explains.
Several other actors, including Nandamuri Balakrishna and Mohan Babu have also been practising and finding solace through their spiritual sojourns.
In fact, Balakrishna ascribes a large part of his success to being spiritual, and credits his father, the late N T Rama Rao for taking the spiritual route. Be it his regular visits to Tirupati, the practice of having Lord Narasimha Swamy darshans at various temples or performing homams regularly at his house. The spiritual endeavours of veteran actor Mohan Babu are not far behind. Apparently, ever since he started worshipping Sai Baba, his fortunes have turned for the better. A staunch devotee of Shirdi Sai Baba for over 30 years now, the actor regularly visits Shirdi, apart from performing Abhishekam to the idol on auspicious occasions like Guru Purnima. Not just that, Mohan Babu is even known to advocate others to follow Sai Baba as well.
