Sri Rama Navami was celebrated sans big social gatherings while the festivities were restricted to temple premises, in South Coastal Andhra Pradesh on Wednesday in the wake of rapid rise in COVID cases.
Among other temples, the three-century-old Kodandarama swamy temple at Buchireddipalem, 16 km from Nellore, was a beehive of religious activity as the nine-day Sri Rama Navami festival began on Wednesday with rituals associated with ‘Anukurarpana’ performed by vedic priests.
Brisk religious activities were witnessed in Sri Rama temples in Prakasam district including the medieval temple of Lord Raghunayaka in Chadalawada, 15 km from Ongole. According to a legend, it was from here that Lord Rama sent the ‘vanarasena’ headed by Lord Hanuman in search of Sitadevi.
Community lunch was dispensed with at pandals in several places. However, ‘panakam’, buttermilk and ‘vadapapu’ were distributed to the limited number of assembled persons.
Yagnams were also performed to mark the nine-day ‘Chaitra Navratri’ festival praying for health, wealth and prosperity.