Devotees witness grand Vairamudi Utsav at Melkote

A large number of devotees witnessed the grand Sri Vairamudi Kireetadharana Mahotsava of Sri Cheluvanarayana Swamy on Monday evening. After a gap of two years, devotees were allowed to get a glimpse of the Vairamudi Utsav in the temple where the deity, adorned in diamond-studded crown and priceless ornaments, was taken out in a procession.

The rituals associated with 13-day Vairamudi Brahmotsava began on March 9. The annual event was a low-key affair for the last two years owing to COVID-19 and only locals were allowed to participate in the festivities.

With the pandemic under control, the Mandya district administration resolved to celebrate the utsav in a grand manner and there were no restrictions on devotees.

Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai visited Melkote. He was accompanied by Legislative Council Chairman Basavaraj Horatti, Minister in-charge of Mandya district Gopalaiah, and Minister for Sports and Youth Empowerment K.C. Narayana Gowda. Sumalatha Ambareesh, Mandya MP, and C.S. Puttaraju, MLA, were present during the inauguration of irrigation projects, including the lift irrigation works in Pandavapura.

The annual utsav, considered one of the most celebrated religious festivals of south India, draws pilgrims from Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh too.

Melkote has come alive with the town decked up for the brahmotsava amidst the illumination of main streets.

Earlier in the day, Vairamudi, the diamond-studded crown, and Rajamudi, which are kept in the district treasury in Mandya, were collected under tight police security ahead of the utsav in the presence of Deputy Commissioner Ashwathi, Superintendent of Police Yatish and other senior officials. After the puja to the ornaments at Sri Lakshmi Janardhana Temple, the jewels were brought to Melkote.