Sri Rama Navami celebrated in unique way at Vemulawada

Besides the marriage of Rama and Seeta, wedding of Joginis, Shiva-Parvathulu, transgenders, Hijras and brides of Lord Shiva with the presiding deity was the important ceremony in the Sri Rama Navami celebrations.

Rajanna-Sircilla: The celestial wedding of Lord Rama and Goddess Seetha was celebrated with a difference and on a grand scale in the ancient Sri Rajarajeshwara Swamy temple at Vemulawada here on Wednesday.

Besides the marriage of Rama and Seeta, wedding of Joginis, Shiva-Parvathulu, transgenders, Hijras and brides of Lord Shiva with the presiding deity was the important ceremony in the Sri Rama Navami celebrations. Considering themselves as brides of Lord Shiva, they wore new saris, jewelry apart from applying turmeric on their faces and vermilion on foreheads.

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Besides a ‘jhola’ (sling bag) containing ‘thalambralu’ (rice mixed with turmeric), trishul (tridents), which were also decorated with bright flowers and a bell, were also carried by them. During the marriage rituals, the devotees carrying tridents tied with bells made rhythmic sounds as the wedding was performed amid chanting of Vedic hymns.

When the marriage ritual of lord Rama and Seetha was declared completed by the temple priests, they sprinkle the ‘thalambralu’ on each other and declare their marriage with Shiva by applying ‘zilakara bellam’ (jaggery and jeera paste) on their heads before tying yellow thread carrying ‘rudraksha’ around their necks. The ceremony is called ‘Linga Dharana’.

A huge number of devotees from different parts of the state as well as adjacent states such as Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh thronged the temple town to watch the celestial wedding of Lord Sri Rama and Seetha. Temple authorities made elaborate arrangements for the convenience of devotees. Large LED screens were also arranged in different places of the town to help devotees watch the wedding ceremony of Lord Rama and Seetha.