Row over violation of traditions at Bhadradri temple, separate Kalyana Mahotsavam held

A parallel Seetha Ramachandra Kalyanam was organised in Bhadrachalam by devotees protesting the alleged replacement of Sri Ramachandra Swamy’s name with Ramanarayana during temple rituals

Kothagudem: Even as the matter concerning alleged replacement of traditional invocation of Bhadradri Temple presiding deity Sri Ramachandra Swamy’s name with Ramanarayana during temple ceremonies is before the High Court, a few organisations have organised a separate Seetha Ramachandra Kalyana Mahotsavam at Bhadrachalam on Saturday.

Bhadradri Prantha Parirakshana Samithi, Antarjatiya Gandhi Patham and Bhadradri Purohitha Sangham have organised the Kalyana Mahotsavam at a function hall under the leadership of seer Swamy Stithi Pragnananda Saraswathi a day after Sri Rama Navami was celebrated at Bhadradri Temple on Friday.

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The organisers claimed that devotees of Lord Rama are unable to come to terms with the grave affront committed by replacing Sri Ramachandra Swamy’s name with Ramanarayana as well as reciting improper Pravara (lineages linked to specific gotras) or Gotra (patrilineal lineage) names of the temple presiding deities. Hence the authentic Seetha Ramachandra Kalyanam is held with their proper Gotra and Pravara names, they said.

They also objected to the act of covering stone sculptures depicting the celestial wedding of Goddess Seetha Devi and Lord Rama as well as the images of Kings Dasharatha and Janaka arriving with their respective families for the nuptials, which adorn the Mithila Stadium with cloth thereby concealing from the view of those witnessing the ceremony.

It might be noted that Bhadradri Prantha Parirakshana Samithi founder Busireddy Shankar Reddy and several others for the past several years have been raising the issue of alleged violation of traditions while reciting the names of the presiding deities by the temple priests.

Different writ petitions have been filed before the High Court by some individuals. They submitted that the nomenclature and ritual format at Bhadradri Temple have been followed for centuries as an integral part of the temple’s religious identity; using the altered form affecting the faith of devotees.

The temple priests argue that there has been no distinction between the names Rama and Ramanarayana and that religious literature recognises multiple appellations for the deity. A committee with four Vedic pandits was formed in 2024 to look into the matter and the committee submitted its report to the Endowments department.