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Superintendent of Police P.Pramod Kumar performing Ayudha Pooja to firearms in Ongole on Sunday

Ongole, October 14, 2013: The Dasara festival was celebrated with traditional enthusiasm and religious fervour across Prakasam district on Sunday.

Devotees thronged the Tripurandaridevi temple at Tripurantakam and other Ammavari temples in the district, as part of the Devi Navaratri Mahotsavam.

The Mother goddess was decorated as Sri Saraswathi Devi upto Navami tithi and as Siddhidayini when the Dasami tithi started. Both the tithis fell on the same day this year.

People waited in long queues to have darshan of the Mother goddess at the ‘Ammavari' temples since dawn and took part in the celebrations, marking the victory of good over evil.

Preserving the religious tradition, people cleaned tools and machines and offered worship on this day celebrated also as ‘Ayudha pooja’.

Superintendent of Police P. Pramod Kumar led the police personnel in performing pooja to their arms in the District Police Office (DPO), while Principal District judge A.Radhakrishna joined the devotees in performing Chandi Yagam at the Gayatri matha temple at Lawyerpet.

The highlight of the festival was the ‘Kalaram’ processions taken out from a group of Ammavari temples in the city in a grand manner in honour of trinity of Mother goddesses--Durga, Lakshmi and Saraswathi. Colourful processions were taken out from Kanakadurga temple in Balajiraopet, Parvathamma temple in Gantapalem, the Vijayadurga temple in Chennakeshavapet and Poleramma temple in Yemenapalem. Artistes in the attire of Gods and goddesses hogged the limelight as youngsters danced to heavy drum beats. Devotees offered ‘haratis' to the goddesses and performed special pujas on the occasion.

Shami puja

Celebrations were also organised at, among other temples, the Santhapet Saibaba temple and the Lawyerpet Saibaba temple to remember with reverence the day on which the Satguru attained mahasamadhi. Community lunch was organised on the occasion.

Vijayadashami was celebrated with traditional fervour and zeal at Jammibanda.

The utsav idols of the deity were brought from Sri Sthambadri Lakshminarasimha Swamy temple to the Jammibanda, the venue of the celebrations, in a ceremonial procession.

Shami Puja and other special rituals were performed on the occasion. Scores of devotees participated in the festivities. Ayudha Puja was performed at the district police headquarters in connection with Vijayadashami festival. Superintendent of Police A V Ranganath and others participated in the programme.

However, the Dasara festival will be celebrated in Bhadrachalam on Monday.

According to sources, a traditional feat christened as “Ravana Vadha” featuring burning of the effigy of demon king Ravana will be organised at Dasara Mandapam in the temple town late on Monday afternoon.

Source: The Hindu, October 14, 2013