Kadapa, July 23, 2013: Guru Pournami was celebrated in several temples all over Kadapa district on Monday.

Priests performed abhishekam, kalasa sthapana, avahana triya pooja, Gayatri maha homam, Sri Suktha homam, Jayaadi homam and poornahuthi in Sri Adi Gayatripuramba temple here. Superintendent of Police of Railways P. Muniswamy and his family members and several devotees participated in the celebrations. Temple committee chairman Madhusudana Gupta oversaw the celebrations and organised annadanam.

Ganapathi pooja and abhishekam were performed to Sri Shirdi Saibaba and Sri Dattatreya Swamy in Sri Saibaba, Gurudatta temple near Kadapa municipal stadium by Vedic pandits Sridhar Sarma and Rallabandi Seshadri Sarma. Special pooja was also performed in Sri Dattasai temple at Badvel, followed by annadanam and a blood donation camp.

Guru Pournami was also celebrated in Sri Vighneswara Abhaya Anjaneya Sainatha temple at Almaspet here. BC Samkshema Sangham general secretary CRI Subba Reddy and his wife Venkatalakshmamma performed palabhishekam to Sri Saibaba idol. Annadanam followed. Leaders P. Mallikarjuna, Prasad and temple committee members participated. The occasion was also celebrated in Sri Saibaba temples in Khajipet, Rajampet and several other places.

Piety marked the celebrations at the hill temple of Lord Venkateswara.

The celebrations were marked by dedication, particularly at various North Indian mutts, including the Hathiram Babaji mutt. Prayers were offered to the spiritual leaders and their predecessors.

Meanwhile in the evening the temple administration conducted the Punnami Garuda seva wherein the processional deity of Lord Malayappa mounted atop the golden Garuda vahanam was taken in a grand procession around the mada streets of the hill temple.

The occasion celebrated with devotion by people with a large number of them turning out at temples located at the district headquarters as well as several other places.

Source: The Hindu, DT. July 23, 2013.