The Sri Raja Rajeshwara Swamy devasthanam, popularly known as Dakshin Kashi, in Vemulawada is being decked up for the celestial wedding of Lord Rama with his consort Sita that marks the occasion of Srirama Navami on Sunday.
Devotees — men, women and transgenders — ‘marry’ Lord Shiva on the festival day, a practice unique to the historic Vemulawada shrine, to seek fulfilment of their wishes and freedom from ailments.
From Saturday itself, the temple was packed with several thousands devotees, who have poured into the town to witness the divine wedding of Lord Rama and Sita, and get married to Lord Shiva.
As part of the marriage ritual, the devotees take a holy dip in ‘dharmagundam’ (holy tank), wear new clothes and apply turmeric and vermilion on their body and decorate themselves as brides of Lord Shiva by carrying His trident (trishul), which is also decorated with bright flowers and a bell.
They carry jaggery and jeera paste on their head as brides and wear a yellow thread with lingam or rudraksha around their neck denoting their marriage to Lord Shiva. They also carry a ‘jhola’ (sling bag) containing rice mixed with turmeric (thalambralu). Later, the devotees watch the celestial wedding of Rama and Sita and ring the bell of their tridents after reciting slokas after the priests. After the celestial wedding, they sprinkle thalambralu and declare the marriage ritual with Lord Shiva completed and apply kumkum on other devotees.
Jangama priest Rajender said the marriage of devotees to Lord Shiva is an age-old practice followed only at Vemulawada temple. “We do not perform any marriage ritual, but only rudraksha or lingam dharana (thread) around the neck of the devotees by reciting some vedic hymns. It is only the devotees who declare themselves as married to God,” he stated. After the ritual in fulfilment of their vow the devotees return home to their families.
