Rama Navami Celebrations At Bhadrachalam: Watch Celestial Wedding on TV

Bhadrachalam: The Rama Navami celebrations at Bhadrachalam on April 21 for the second consecutive year is going to be a low-key affair due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The Endowments Department on Sunday (March 28) has decided to organize celebrations in accordance with Covid-19 protocols. 

With Telangana State (TS) reporting a surge in the number of Covid positive cases, the government has issued an order, invoking the Disaster Management Act 2005, banning the public celebration of religious festivals.

The Telangana government has even imposed restrictions on public gatherings, congregations, rallies, and processions during the upcoming religious events to prevent the spread of the Coronavirus.

However, the State government has imposed many restrictions on celebrations of festivals this year. The KCR government has also decided not to allow public celebrations in the state during the coming religious events, such as Shab-e-Barat, Holi, Ugadi (Telugu New Year), Rama Navami, Mahavir Jayanti, Good Friday, Ramzan, and others till April 30.

The Telangana government has imposed these rules as Covid-19 cases in the state have climbed up. People in the state are not serious about following protocols despite repeated warnings from the health authorities on COVID prevention measures.

Sri Rama Navami celebrations will go on without the usual fanfare at the historic Sri Sitaramachandra Swamy temple in Bhadrachalam. The Rama Navami celebrations will again be conducted in the presence of priests and temple staff.

Endowments minister A. Indrakaran Reddy and transport minister Puvvada Ajay Kumar will participate in the celestial wedding, which will only be graced by Vedic pandits, priests, temple, and security staff.

The rituals like adoring Lord Rama and Goddess Sita with jewelry, Talambralu, Vyakhyanam, and offering of Mutyala Talambralu on behalf of the state government will be complied with in continuation of the tradition.

The divine wedding like last year will be performed as Agarma Sastra by the temple pundits inside the temple premises where earlier Nitya Kalayanam used to be performed.

The Telangana government has requested devotees not to turn up at the temple on the festive occasion for celebrations this year. It is known that usually, devotees throng Bhadrachalam temple to take part in the Rama Navami celebrations every year.

The government has also assured that those who had purchased tickets online to witness the celestial wedding would get a full refund.

Devotees, who will be visiting the temple, must strictly adhere to rules like wearing masks and maintaining physical distance and also extend their support to the temple staff to avoid any inconvenience.

Sri Rama Navami celebrations will have a Live Telecast on Television Channels. Hence, the government has urged devotees to watch the celestial wedding of Rama and Sita on television at home considering the pandemic situation.