Srikakulam :

With one more day left for the renowned Ratha Sapthami celebrations, the Endowments department and temple officials at Arasavilli Sri Suryanarayana Swami temple are making all out efforts to ensure that adequate facilities are made available to the devotees. The devotees won’t face the difficulties they had undergone last year, the officials promised.

The celebrations will begin after 12 am on Monday with Suprabhata seva, early morning puja and Mahabhishekam (consecrated bathing of the Deity) with milk. The abhishekams with milk  would continue from 1 am till daybreak. The Nijarupa darshan of the deity would start from daybreak and end at 4 pm. The devotees will have darshan of the Deity decorated with flowers after that. All through the day there would be mega pujas, Dwadasa harathi and mega food offerings to the deity. Everything is of mega size for the Sun God on that day. The celebrations would conclude with Ekanta seva at 9 pm.

It is believed that having darshan of the Sun deity on the Ratha Sapthami day would free the devotees from illness, sorrows and poverty.

According to the Puranas, there would not be another birth for the devotee who has darshan of the Sun deity on that day.

Large barricades have been placed around the temple as well as Indra temple tank. Separate queue lines have also been also arranged for special darshan, normal darshan and Abhisekham. Strict bandobust will be there at the tonsure centre and holy bathing tank.

Executive officer Pushpanadam said that the Abhisekham ticket had been priced at Rs 216 and special darshan ticket at Rs 100 which would be sold only from 11 pm on Sunday. No other tickets would be on sale, the EO clarified. Temple Prasadam can be obtained from the Endowments counters.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Andhra Pradesh / by Express News Service / January 25th, 2015