Maha Sivaratri Utsavams in Srisailam will starts from Feb 25

The 11-day Maha Sivaratri Utsavams will start from February 25 and conclude with religious fervour at the Srisailam temple on March 7.The festival will begin with Ankurarpana and Ganapathi puja on February 25 and end with Dhwajarohanam. Temple executive officer A Sriramachandra Murthy said that all arrangements have been made for the 11-day festival. Nearly 20 lakh devotees are expected to visit the temple during Brahmotsavams. The AP government and TTD officials will present silk clothes to the Lord on March 1. There will be no sparsa darshan and Arjita Sevas during these days.

The Maha Sivaratri Utsavams is being celebrated as Brahmotsavams in the month of Magham (the 11th month of lunar calendar), which falls usually in the month of February /March. This is a festival of 11 days with Navahaknika Deeksha.

The Maha Sivaratri day (29th day of Magham) is the most important day of the festival.The important events of the celebrations are Ankurarpana, Dhwajarohanam, Vahana Sevas to God and Goddess, Lingodhbhavakala, Maharudrabhishekam to God, Pagalankarana, Kalyanotsavam, Rathotsavam and Dhwajarohanam. Brahmotsavams begins with Ankurarpana, a religious ritual on the occasion of festival, followed by Dhwajarohanam during which Dhwaja Patam is hoisted on the Dhwajasthambham of the temple.

It is said that the Dhwajarohanam is conducted to invite all gods and goddesses to the religious event. The Vahana Sevas are another important event of the celebrations in which the presiding deities will be taken on various vahanas.

On the Maha Sivaratri day at midnight during Lingodhbhavakalam (the sacred time in which God Siva manifests in the form of huge flaming Linga), abhishekam will be performed to Lord Mallikarjuna Swamy. The Pagalankarana is a unique custom in Srisailam temple and is the most significant event of the festival.

In this a person belonging to weavers community (Devanga) tie a lengthy new white cloth called as Paga (Turban) starting from the Sikhara of the Swamyvari Vimana Gopuram passing around the Nandi idols placed on the Mukhamandapam of the temple. The interesting feature of this event is that the Devanga will decorate the paga with naked body in total darkness and all the lights at that time are put off in the temple. The cloth used in the Pagalankarana is hand woven by weavers throughout the year.

Nearly 30 pagas are offered by various weavers individually as a vow and all the pagas will be decorated by a single weaver. Later, Pagalankarana Kalyanotsavam of Mallikarjuna Swamy and Bhramaramba Devi will be performed.