The annual Voora Panduga or village festival was celebrated with gaiety and religious fervour in the district headquarters town on Sunday as devotees offered Bonalu to village Goddesses with traditional processions across the city.
Idols of 10 Goddesses carved out of mango timber by carpenter Laxman’s family every year were taken out in a ceremonial procession from Sirnapally Gadi (palace) in Kotagally to Sharadamba Gadde at Indur Khilla early in the morning. The procession passed through Devi road, Chakramgudi, Ram mandir, Varni Chowrasta and Pedda Bazar.
After performing pooja at the Khilla temple, the idols were shifted to their respective temples in the city. Devotees in different roles and Potharajulu stood as special attraction in the procession.
Sari or prasadam made of rice and bajra mixed with turmeric and blood of a goat are significant offerings in Voora Panduga. People vied with each other to catch saris, distributed by Sarva Samaj Committee, to spread over their houses to help ward off the evil eye and result in bumper harvest. A number of goats, sheep and chickens were sacrificed by different communities on the occasion.
MLA Bigala Ganesh Gupta, ex-Mayor Akula Sujatha, ex-MLC Arkala Narsa Reddy and former MLA Yendala Laxminarayana offered prayers at Sharadamba temple. Police made elaborate bandobust along procession routes. Commissioner of Police Kartikeya supervised security arrangements.