K Chandrasekhar Rao begins yagam, says it’ll cost Rs 7 crore

Dec 24, 2015

CM said that the Yagam was personal and being conducted to appease Goddess Chandi.

K Chandrasekhar Rao performing the Ayutha Maha Chandi Yagam

Hyderabad: Thousands of people from city and other parts of Telangana participated in the first day of the five-day Ayutha Maha Chandi Yagam conducted by Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao at his Erravalli farm in Jadevpur mandal of Medak on Wednesday.

The Chief Minister said that the Yagam was personal and being conducted to appease Goddess Chandi following formation of the new state of Telangana and for peace and prosperity of the people of the state besides world peace.

Serpentine queues prove yagam a hit

Long serpentine queues were seen throughout the day as people arrived from all over the state.

Hyderabad: Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao and his family members were accorded a traditional welcome by priests when they arrived at the yagashala. They offered prayers to an idol of Goddess Chandi and took part in a Ganapathi puja to set the yagam in motion.

Governor E.S.L. Narasimhan, who arrived in a traditional silk lungi and shawl accompanied by his wife Vimala Narasimhan, joined the rituals as the yagashala reverberated with chanting of Chandi shlokas and Vedic hymns.

Long serpentine queues were seen throughout the day as people arrived from all parts of the state by every mode of transport, mostly cars and two-wheelers. While some left after having a glimpse of the goddess, hundreds of others sat in the allocated space where a huge video screen was installed for the visitors.

Little away from the yagashala, a kumkumarchana programme was conducted exclusively for women devotees where hundreds of women, including many in yellow saris, participated.
Ms Shobha, Ms Kavita, IT minister K.T. Rama Rao’s wife Shailima and other family members distributed saris to women and offered pasupu bottu as per tradition.

A long, but satisfying walk to yagam venue

Traversing barefoot is tiring, but worth it for commoners.

Hyderabad: It wasn’t very easy for commoners visiting the Chandi Yagam at Erravalli village on Wednesday given the sheer number of devotees and the scale of arrangements.

Ordinary visitors had to park more than a km from the venue and walk barefoot as the police asked them to leave their footwear (and also mobile phones) in the vehicles. For the old and the infirm, walking that distance barefoot was quite trying.

Meanwhile, there was also an issue with lack of water in the women’s washrooms, which was rectified by TRS leaders. “We went round Erravalli village before finding a parking space. We had to trek barefoot for over a km to reach the venue. They could have allowed us to get dropped a little nearer to the venue,” complained an aged Mr Shivaiah.

Another woman from Sircilla, while appreciating the yagam, complained about VIPs getting special treatment. “It seems everyone is not equal before god. VIPs are given royal treatment while we are pushed,” she said.

Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao has sent out around 40,000 invites to sarpanches and other dignitaries. However, barring ministers, legislators and other bigwigs, even the invitation cards were of no use. Some who carried the invites were disallowed direct access to the yagashala by the police and had to join the common devotees.

But despite these hiccups, most visitors — especially women — left with a smile after receiving laddus, vermillion boxes and saris at the kumkumarchana venue. The food was also appreciated by everyone.

He said that the total cost of the yagam could be between Rs 6 crore and Rs 7 crore including donations from friends and well-wishers.

The main yagashala, where 1,500 priests conducted the yagam under the guidance of Sringeri Peetham from 8.30 am onwards in the presence of the Chief Minister, his wife Shobha, family members and other dignitaries, was packed since early morning.