AP: Huge Rush at Bathing Ghats, Shiva Temples
Many of the devotees, women in particular, thronged the sites to lit the auspicious lamps.
Kakinada: Hundreds of devotees thronged the Shiva temples in Godavari districts like Kakinada, Konaseema, Eluru, East and West Godavari and took holy dip in the river, or at canal ghats or beaches in the sea on the eve of Karthika Masa.
For the past two Mondays, due to the cyclone and rains, the rush was not as high as was expected by the officials. But on the third Monday, the devotees came in large numbers to the Godavari ghats in Rajamahendravaram in the early hours and took the holy dip.
They lit the auspicious lamps (Karthika Deepams) and left them floating in the waters.
The devotees offered prayers and performed special poojas and abhishekams in several Shiva temples like the four Pancharama Kshetras --the Draksharama (Bhimeswara Swamy-Manikyamba temple), the Chalukya KumaraRama Bhimeswara Swamy temple at Samalkot, the Sri Ksheera Ramalingeswara Swamy temple at Palakollu and the Soma Rameswara Swamy temple at Bhimavaram, as also at other famous temples like the Kukkuteswara Swamy-Puruhutika temple at Pithapuram, the Mukteswara Swamy temple at Mukteswaram, the Veereswara Swamy temple at Muramalla, the Sri Vighneswara temple at Ainavilli, the Kundaleswara Swamy temple at Kundaleswaram, the Antarvedi Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy temple, the Vasavi Kanyaka Parameswara Swamy temple at Penugonda, the Markendeya Swamy, Visweswara Swamy, Uma Maheswara Swamy, Kotilngeswara Swamy and other temples in Rajamahendravaram, the Koppulingeswara Swamy temple at Palivela etc.
The temple authorities made all arrangements for smooth conduct of the events. The police also arranged special security in view of the previous bitter experiences in several temples in the state.
Many devotees performed the Lakha Patri pooja, Laksha Vothulu etc. At Rajamahendravaram, the Pantham Satyanarayana charitable trust led by Pantham Kondala Rao organised the Lakha Deepotsavam event at the Kotilngeswara Swamy temple in Rajamahendravaram.
The Markandeya Swamy temple’s former chairman Polasanapalli Hanumantha Rao blew the conch to mark the launching of the event.
Former MLC Adireddy Appa Rao and his wife and former mayor Veera Raghavamma, Rajamahendravaram MLA Adireddy Srinivas, former MP Margani Bharat, YSRC leader Jakkampudi Vijayalakshmi, former MLA Rowthu Surya Prakasa Ra and others attended the programme and took the blessings of the god.
Many of the devotees, women in particular, thronged the sites to lit the auspicious lamps.
