Date:09/07/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/07/09/stories/2008070951370300.htm

Andhra Pradesh

Pooja held to appease rain god

Staff Reporter

Congress supporters conduct inter-religion conventions too

The ritual involves pouring water on Siva Lingam at temple
It is an age-old practice for divine intervention, says Youth Congress leader

CHILAKALURIPET: With the pre-monsoon showers appearing as a distant mirage and the seasonal monsoon evading the State, supporters of the ruling Congress have taken to performing special pooja and organizing inter-religion conventions to appease the rain god.

A group of enterprising youths under the aegis of Radhakrishna Mithra Mandali, Y.S. Jagan Youth and Old Ganni Youth performed `Sahasra Gatabhisekham’ at the ancient Sri Ganga Annapurna Tandeveswara Swamy temple at Pasumarru near Chilakaluripet.

The ritual involved pouring water on the Siva Lingam filled the entire sanctum sanctorum to a height of six feet with water to the recital of Rudra Parayanam by temple priests. Over 150 volunteers took part in the ritual held in the temple. Even as the ritual was going on, two young priests stood inside water drums chanting hymns.

``This is an age-old ritual performed seeking divine intervention when rains fail. We hope that the god work done by Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy over the last four years will yield good result,” said former State Youth Congress general secretary M. Radhakrishna.

``This ritual will definitely yield result and we are predicting rains within 48 hours,” said temple priest Mulamraja Rajakumara Sharma.

Sweets distributed

Later, the youth celebrated the event by cutting a cake at the Christian pastor’s convention and distributed sweets at a local masjid. Congress Media secretary Sk. Mohammad was also present.