Prayers of ‘Pancha Moorthis’ were offered on a silver Ambari at the Srikalahastheeswara Swamy Temple in Srikalahasti on Wednesday. | Photo credit: BY ARRANGEMENT
The Maha Sivaratri Brahmotsavams at Srikalahastheeswara Swamy Devasthanam began on Wednesday with the traditional hoisting of the sacred ‘Dhwajapatam’ atop the temple flag. Known as ‘Kodi Utsavam’, the temple priests participated in the ritual and hoisted the flag amid chanting of hymns.
According to mythology, this day is called ‘Devaratri’ and is given great importance. The flag was hoisted on a gilded flagpole placed opposite the main sanctum sanctorum.
A ‘homam’ was performed before the event and holy water was sprinkled on the flagpole. The sari presented by the devotees was decorated on the flagpole before being hoisted. The hoisting of the flag is to signal the start of the annual festival.
While local MLA Bojjala Sudheer Reddy was off duty in Vijayawada, his mother B. Brundamma and his wife B. Rishitha Reddy attended the ventilation on his behalf. They were accompanied by Temple Board Chairman Kotte Saiprasad, Managing Director T. Bapi Reddy and BJP State Vice President Kola Anand, among others.
Meanwhile, the “Pancha Moorthis” were carried in a grand procession through the city on a silver Ambari, an event known as “Gramotsavam”.
State Bank of India (SBI), on the other hand, donated 200 dhoti and t-shirts to the ‘Vahanam’ wearers and ‘Sripada Sevaks’ working in the temple. Similarly, drug dealers came and offered medicine to the temple.
Published – 11 Feb 2026 20:34 IST