Helicopter showers petals on chariot of Goddess in Kuppam

Over one lakh devotees throng to witness the spectacle

Over one lakh devotees from all over the Kuppam region and border areas of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka thronged Gudupalle mandal headquarters near Kuppam on Saturday to witness the first-of-its-kind spectacle of a helicopter raining flower petals on the chariot procession of village Goddess Sri Prasanna Ralla Gangamamba.

An ardent devotee of the Goddess from Thanimadugu panchayat has arranged for the “pushabhishekam” from the helicopter, hired from an aviation company in Bengaluru. It is for the first time that a helicopter is deployed for the ritual, and the devotee, Mahadevan, said he would continue to sponsor the ritual annually.

The sixteen-day Brahmotsavams of the 300-year-old temple of Sri Prasanna Ralla Gangamamba has entered its third day on Saturday. The main events are “Agni Gundam” (the devout walking on embers to fulfill their vows) and Nimajjan (immersion), with which the event draws to a close.

Devotees, many from affluent families, from the three States of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh visit the temple located in a forest-fringe location all round the year. As a rule, many families also get marriages performed here at the temple before going for a grand-scale function later.

The Goddess is known for bestowing boons on childless mothers, women facing inordinate delays in their marriages, and those suffering from chronic ailments. In olden days, it is said that devotees would pray to the Goddess for recovery of patients suffering from small pox.