Devotees ‘transported to another world’ as KCR’s yagam enters third day

HYDERABAD: Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao’s Sahasra Chandi yagam entered into its third day on Wednesday.“The sankalpam (aim) behind the Yagam is Loka Kalyanam (welfare of the world),” one of the 300 priests told Express at Erravalli Yagna Vatika.

Rao has generally conducted such events at his farmhouse in Erravalli. The farmlands, which usually grow vegetables most of the time, turned into a temporary religious pilgrimage site for the massive Sahasra Chandi Yagam. Rao has said he is praying so that the State may receive timely rains and thus the welfare of farmers.

When visitors walk into the venue, they are greeted by a huge statue depicting Mahishasura Mardini, the mythological tale of demon Mahishasura being killed by goddess Durga. During their walk, visitors listen to vedic hymns and religious songs being sung on Shiva and Venkateshwara. “This looks like a different world,” said a visitor from Hyderabad.

Behind the statue, there are several make-shift hits. At one place, the Rudrabhishekam and Homam is conducted for five days. At the neighbouring hut, the Rajasyamala Homam goes on and at another the Brahmastra Bagalamukhi Homam takes place. The latter is apparently to ‘nullify negative forces’.
There are four more huts where Homams are conducted for each of the four Vedas. At the main hut, Sahasra Chandi Parayanam is conducted by hundreds of priests.

“We are following Yekavara Paddhati. On the first day of Yagam, a group of priests read Durga Saptasati (Devi Mahatyam) in one voice. On the second day, they read it for two times. Today is the third day, we read the holy book for three times. That is why we started it at 8 am and concluded it by 1 pm,” a priest from Hyderabad explained. On the final day, the priests will conduct the ‘Dasamsa Homam’, he explained.  Several kinds of fruits such as gourd, pomegranate, coconut, guava, Bassia Latifolia and honey will be offered into the fire pit on Friday, the last day.