Mutyalamma Jatara Concluded

The nine-day long celebrations of Mutyalamma Jatara (The fete of Goddess Mutyalamma) concluded today at Dummuguadem.The place is renowned for the biannual celebrations and which would draw large number of devotees from distant places.This time the event kick started on 11th and concluded on 19th of this month.Each day different rituals like Nitya aradhana,abhishekam and others have taken place.Dummugudem is almost 25 k.m. away from Bhadrachalam.And it was a navigational point during the British ruling.

The presiding Deity Mutyalamma Talli is synonymous with the place and the people who got out of it for the sake of livelihood would come here and contribute in the form of monetary and other capacities.And many devotees from several other places donated to support the event in a befitting way.And the contributors have been mentioned in the brochure along with the details of cultural activities on the occasion.TV artistes,Musical orchestra and other entertainments were there.

Small time traders floated their goods like toys,Bangles,porcelain ware,handy crafts and other things.The lanes of these outlets added attraction to the surrounding place.Usually fare is a common scenario in the Jatara.It facilitates children and adults alike buying something out there.Things remain as memorabilia.Another two years to witness the same fete.However,there is an influx of devotees everyday with unflinching faith and reverence.There are many people named after the Deity like Mutyala Rao or Mutyalu.

I visited the temple with Naren,a friend from my college days and have the darshanam on the last sunday with the assistance of a local friend,Byreddy Harsha who is pursuing his MBA at Vizag.The Organisers gave us an unexpected welcome with blaring repercussions as we have been there to release my latest Story collection.A book enthusiast and librarian Baby Kunja met there on the occasion.We have taken some pics to freeze the memories.

"Sankranti" celebrations started

(Gearing up for a Cock-Fighting...?)

January month is somewhat special with three-day bound festival of Sankranti.Telugu people would celebrate it as a harvest festival with no trace of exact commencement,however which has become a part of Telugu people.The festival is definitely of some hundreds of years history as it had been noted down in the annals of local epics.First day is Bhogi,second day is Sankranti and third day is Kanuma.All three days are considered as important with each of its prominence.On Bhogi day,having showers with plum fruits to be observed.Cock fighting is age old phenomena in the Sankranti celebrations.Kanuma is concerned with the cattle.Anyway,we can't expect the grand scale fervor like older days in the rural side.

But certainly the festival has its own charm and draws the people back to villages from their working places.On these seasonal days,bus companies do roaring business and extra trains are also served to meet the demand.Everybody who keeps working in the cities for their livelihood would start to reach their own places to celebrate the festivities along with their kith and kin.Making delicious puddings like Ariselu and Jantikalu is commonly seen.Visiting temples with  new cloths is also a must thing.And there are many things to say. 

When the school's long bell rings

The above picture which I have taken was portraying several things,of course,the time was around 5'O clock in the evening.School kids came out and waiting for their autos and buses.It's a small village Narsapuram. Around our temple town to be specified.Some parents were picking their kid and moving ahead on the scooty. Before that,you see,A temple was under construction.Behind that,palm trees and other ones.The Sun was going down in the western horizon with a weak presence of rays.On top of all,He is the Sun of 2018 last week.

A Bird Man...!

As I entered into the house of Rambabu garu,he was busy giving grains to the birds , mostly sparrows.In fact,he has a small garden with a conglomerate of different plants ,trees and creepers.First I didn't believe that the birds would come as faster as he expected.True,after a couple of minutes he finished laying grains,the small birds started to flock and kept eating the grains with chirping,maybe out of happiness.He said that the food grains would be given almost everyday.And the birds were so happy coming here to eat.A different bird was flashed a couple of days back apart from these usual sparrows.These would drive that away first but later on all these became amicable with that queer bird.That's an amazing thing of their own style of life.

I asked him whether he would receive the birds everyday like this.Amazing to myself,he revealed great things about the birds.Sometimes birds would come to him as he was starting poring the grains.They felt no fear of him and treat him like their friend.In case,even his children or any other come here,they would hesitate to come nearer until they have gone away.That means the birds could identify their food givers.And also treat them friendly.He also has some other flower plants.

The above is said to have turned their leaves into red in some particular months and all rest of the months,remain as green as we are seeing here.Sorry,I forgot the name.A plant of transformation in brief.It looked like a shrub,not tall.Here under,is called powder puff  flower,as our friend said.Anyway,visiting his house made me aware of birds and their bonhomie.Along with some beautiful plants.Have a NICE DAY.

A Multi-Faceted person: Dr.Veedhula Rambabu

Dr.Veedhula Rambabu is not only an academician.He is more than that.An organizer of literary programs, a compere of several other stage shows,a writer,an intellectual and a best teacher in nutshell.Our 'Incredible Bhadrachalam' caught up with him to have more inputs to present our readers.

Q: Could you tell us a little bit about your whereabouts..?

A: Certainly,I am very happy to be here.My native place is Thotapalli,a nearby village of Bhadrachalam.Right now,with the act of bifurcation it has been merged in Andhra pradesh.Came from a farming family.Our village is having a reputation of being lived by Sri Vedula Satyanarayana,a greatest stalwart poet of Telugu literary world.We always take pride of it.

Q: About your education,please..!

A:I have much interested in Hindi along with my mother tongue Telugu.So that I have done My M.Phil and Ph.d in Hindi.I took 'Sumitranandan Pant works and humanity in his writings' as my research topic.I also extensively penned on the works of Mahadevi Verma.All which was from Dakshina Bharata Hindi prachara sabha.

Q: Tell us about your contribution to the field of  literature and other ones as well..!

A:I wrote number of short stories for children and which were published in mainstream publications like Eenadu (Daily),Varta (Daily),Andhra jyothi(Daily),Bala baratam(Monthly) and many others.Notably,Maharashtra state government incorporated my stories in their text books.In addition to that,I have brought out a collection of stories titled "Banthi poola maala" and an essay collection "Samveekshanam" etc.

Q:It is heard that you have traveled widely to present papers on Hindi literature.Elaborate it for us..!

A:Yes,I have attended many seminars in India on the purpose.National seminars held at places like Goa,Indore,Amritsar,Pune,Mumbai,Nagpur,Shillong and others were some of them.I submitted papers and it will be done in future too.

Q:Felicitations you received from various organisations,if any..?

A:I have attended four times to world Telugu forum meetings as a delegate.Also I was conferred with the titles of Vidya Siromani,Sahitya Mahopaadhyaaya,Manas sarovar sikhar (Madhya pradesh),Shaan Adad (Madhya pradesh) and so on.

Q:Tell us about the local programs and its execution..!

A:I took responsibilities of "Telengna Sahitee" organisation as its president and delivered my best by conducting number of literary activities which attracted all the state.Bigwigs of the field have been arrived and gave their blessings.Apart from that,All India radio programs,TV programs have also been done.

Q:You also established "Kamisetty Puraskaaram" at national level to uphold the best works of Telugu literature.How was the experience with it..?

A:We received tremendous response from all quarters.True,to uphold the best of every genre of Telugu literature,Kamisetti Puraskaaram did its bit and the tradition goes as well.Right from 2015,we have been giving the award and cash prize.Kondi Malla Reddy (Poetry-2015),Dr.Santhi Narayana (Short story-2016),Siramsetti Kantha Rao (Novel-2017),Prof.S.Raghu (Criticism-2018) got the Coveted Kamisetti Puraskaaram so far.

Q:Thank you very much and wish you all the best in all of your endeavors.

A:Thanks a lot for your kind wishes.

-------Murthy KVVS

Festival days of Sri Vaikunta Ekadasi

Bhadrachalam decked up with all due adornments in view of Vaikunta Ekadasi Celebrations.Every year the Vaishnava traditional temple of Lord Rama draws devotees from many corners.This time celebrations would be lasted up to 28th of this month.And of course, it has commenced on 8th.Music concerts,Dance programs and other forms of devotional activities will be conducted during all these days and once, the place drew Sitar Legend Pandit Ravishankar,Renowned cine singer K.J.Yesudas and Carnatic music Legend Mangalampalli and many others as the performers.Comparing to the past glory,present scenario has to be enhanced in its quality.Nowadays mostly budding artistes and unknown professionals are being invited to perform during the festival season.

All these twenty days to be filled with talented ones to make it special.In fact,the important phenomenon of the festival is,the Deity to give darshanam  in Ten Incarnations(Dasavataaramulu).And on main festival a program of Boat Riding of the Deity in the river Godavari called "Teppotsavam" will be celebrated in a great pomp and gaiety.Visitors of all walks of life shall throng there by evening and which would last up to late night.Fire works of attractive designs and lighting entertain the people.There are adequate Temple related rooms,private lodges and other ones to accommodate in the town.

How to come: From Hyderabad and Vjayawada,you will get direct buses.And if you come by train,it  is available upto Bhadrachalam Road.That means a 35 k.m. from there by bus.Services available round the clock almost.

Pearls of Vedic Wisdom to Succeed (A Few words on the book)

Here is a book on Yogic wisdom penned by a trio belonged to the land of Sandalwood.You would ask me that there were quite a few books on the same subject and what would be the new and innovative about it.Yes,there were some highly unique and engrossing points noted when I went through the book.First of all,some complex notions made simplified with using anecdotes and daily life situations.The inner world,personality,pancha klesha,outer world,Karma theory,Sadhana and other concepts described in a lucid and interesting manner.A lay reader could understand without much interpretation.Examples have been taken from day to day life with apt utterances of modern science.

Each topic is divided into sub topics to describe in its fullest and there was authority in every word.It can only be possible when the writer (s) equipped with sublime light of  long years of Sadhana and Guru's blessings.Much of the complication lies with Sanskrit words and its connotations which were misunderstood by most of the so called Yoga writers.That's the real problem concerned with the books of the kind.West or East,any reader who yearns to know the basics of the Vedic wisdom in brief shall go for this neatly printed book.This what I felt about it to put in a few words.

(Writers:Dr.Yogi Devaraj,Arun Kumar,Venugopala CV, Price:Rs.299/-, Contact:+ 91 94491 66245)