Over 2.5 lakh devotees witnessed the Sirimanotsavam of the Goddess Pydimamba temple in the Fort City, which wore a festive look with simultaneous celebrations of Vizianagaram Utsav that ended with a grand note on Tuesday evening. Compared to the previous three years, the turnout was huge this year as pilgrims from faraway places of Andhra Pradesh came to participate in the annual festival which has 260 years of long history. On behalf of the presiding deity, the temple’s hereditary priest Bantupalli Venkata Rao blessed the devotees from atop the Sirimanu, the long trunk of a tamarind tree identified for the festival this year.
Along with traditional Paladhara, Anjali Radham (replica of white elephant), and fishermen’s net (bestavari vala), the Sirimanu moved three times from the temple premises to historic fort. Although ‘sirimanu’ moved from 4.37 pm to 5.40 pm, the devotees eagerly waited on the roads from 3 p.m. itself.
The long trunk of the tamarind tree which was identified as ‘sirimanu’ this year has been brought from Hukumpet to the Goddess Pydimamba temple at around 3 p.m. after performing puja. This time, the tree which was made as ‘sirimanu’ was selected from Jarajapupeta of Nellimarla mandal. The farmer Tumu Apparao was delighted with the selection of the tree from their grove.
