Grand chariot festival held at Hampi with devotees

Vijayanagara

The grand chariot festival of the historic Hampi Virupaksheshwar and Pampambika Devis and the small chariot festival of Chandramouleshwar with Vidyaranya Bharathi Swamiji were held with great pomp on Saturday evening in the presence of thousands of devotees.

While Vidyaranya Bharathi Swamiji, wearing a crown and gown gifted by the Nizam of Hyderabad, rode in a small chariot along with Chandramouleshwara. 

Devotees erupted in cheers as the pair of chariots, led by the temple's elephant, passed one behind the other. They threw bananas and incense sticks at the chariots and prayed with devotion.

Even after the fall of the Vijayanagara Empire, the rule of the feudal kings continued in Anegundi. Since members of that family are still present, there is a tradition of entering the Virupaksha Temple facing east on the morning of the Rathotsava.

 Vidyaranya Bharathi Swamiji performed the Brahmarathotsava Shastra wearing the crown given by Bukkadevaraya. 

  Devotees were thrilled to see   golden mask and crown that are worn by Virupaksha only on special occasions. This crown, said to have been made by the Vijayanagara king Krishnadevaraya, weighs 6 kg. Vidyaranya Mahaswamiji of Hampi performed abhishekam on Lord Shiva and adorned him with a gold kavacha.

Devotees from Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, and Kerala had come to the fair. The Jodi Rathotsava was held amidst a sea of ​​devotees that had gathered in the thousands. The police had made adequate arrangements for the fair.

The bearers of the offerings had arranged for the distribution of buttermilk, sanakkam, and sugarcane milk to the devotees. There was also an arrangement for offering food to those who came to the fair.