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.
Every year, the tree is selected with the suggestion of the head priest of the temple. The tree which is seen in the dream of the priest is selected as sirimanu every year. The tradition has been continuing for the last 262 years. The tamarind tree selected this year was brought to Hukumpeta street on October 9 for converting it into ‘sirimanu’. The locals would continue to offer prayers for the celestial tree till the completion of Vuyyala Kambala Utsavam which would be celebrated in a couple of weeks.
Pusapati family members, including former Union Minister P. Ashok Gajapathi Raju, offered prayers from the fort. Mr. Ashok’s family presence assumed significance as he could not watch the celestial festival when the government had removed him as hereditary trustee of temples.
However, he assumed charge again with the favourable order from the court of law. Deputy Chief Minister Budi Mutyala Naidu, Minister for Education Botcha Satyanarayana, Deputy Speaker Kolagatla Veerabhadra Swamy and others watched the Sirimanotsavam from Vizianagaram District Cooperative Central Bank (DCCB)
Vizianagaram Collector S. Nagalakshmi, Superintendent of Police M. Deepika and other senior officials coordinated the arrangements for the festival. The police personnel brought from Visakhapatnam and Srikakulam districts were involved in law and order and traffic duty. With the coordinated efforts, the traffic jams during the festival was reduced in the city.
