Srisailam gears up for ‘Karthika Masam’ festivities from November 10

The Sri Bhramaramba Mallikarjuna Swamy temple in Srisailam is all decked up for the auspicious ‘Karthika Masam’ festivities.

The month-long ‘Karthika Masam’ festivities at Sri Bhramarmba Mallikarjuna Swmay temple in Srisailam will be held from November 10 (Tuesday) to December 9.

The main events during the auspicious month include ‘Koti Deepotsavam’ (lighting of one crore lamps) opposite the temple’s vedic school on ‘Karthika Shuddha Ekadasi’ (November 20), ‘Jwala Thoranam’ (ceremonial arch of fire), ‘Laksha Deepotsavam’ (lighting of one lakh lamps) and ‘Pushkarini Harathi’ on the day of ‘Karthika Pournami’ (November 24), as well as ‘Krishnamma Harathi’ at Patala Ganga on November 13.

Meanwhile, ‘Laksha Deepotsavam’ (lighting of one hundred thousand lamps) and ‘Pushkarini Harati’ (ritual offering of lamps at the temple tank) will be conducted every Monday during the month.

Temple Trust Board chairman Pothugunta Ramesh Naidu and executive officer (EO) M. Srinivasa Rao said in a press release on Monday that ‘Sparsha Darshan’ will be suspended on Saturdays, Sundays, Mondays, and other auspicious festival days. On regular days, Sparsha Darshan will be permitted during specific time slots to ensure there is no inconvenience to devotees in the ‘Sarva Darshanam’ (general queue) line.

The temple management officials said arrangements, including accommodation for devotees, supply of drinking water, smooth darshan, ‘Arjita Sevas’ for the presiding deities, management of queue lines, crowd control, traffic regulation, sanitation, and vehicle parking, were being set up in view of the large influx of devotees during the month.

The temple doors will open daily at 3 a.m. After the early morning rituals, darshan will be available from 4.30 a.m. until 4 p.m., after which it will resume at 5.30 p.m.

As in the previous year, anointing the deity inside the sanctum sanctorum and collective anointing rituals have been suspended completely throughout the month for the convenience of general devotees. To facilitate a comfortable darshan for the devotees, the ‘Kumkumarchana’ ritual performed in the inner sanctum of the Goddess Bhramaramba will be conducted in the ‘Ashirvachana Mandapam’ during the month on Saturdays, Sundays, Mondays, and other festival days (a total of 16 days).

Other Arjita Sevas such as ‘Rudra Homam’, ‘Chandi Homam’, ‘Sakshi Ganapati Homam’, and ‘Nitya Kalyanam’ will continue as usual.