Tens of Thousands of Devotees witness the Historic Sharanabasaveshwar Yathra
KALABURAGI: Tens of thousands of devotees of the 18th Century Saint and Social Reformer Lord Sharanabasaveshwar witnessed the Rathotsava of the historic Sharanabasaveshwar Yathra Mahotsav to commemorate the 201st Punyathithi (Death Anniversary) of the Saint Lord Sharanabasaveshwar in the sprawling Sharanabasaveshwar Shrine complex in Kalaburagi city on Saturday.
The tastefully decorated Ratha carrying the idol of Lord Sharanabasaveshwara was drawn around the shrine complex at the appointed time amid the slogans praising Lord Sharanabasaveshwara and 8th Peetadhipathi of the Sharanabasaveshwar Samasthan Poojya Sharnbaswappa Appaji by the sea of humanity which had converged in the shrine complex to witness the Rathotsava and pay their obeisance to Saint Lord Sharanabasaveshwara.
Right from the early hours of the day, the Sharanabasaveshwar Shrine complex was teaming with the people, particularly the women folk walking from their homes barefoot to the shrine with “Neivaidya” the offerings to the main deity were seen standing in long queque before the shrine to offer their obeisance and Neivaidya.
To prevent any untoward incident the police personnel had erected barricades on both sides of the route in which the tastefully decorated Ratha was pulled and the heavy presence of the police and homeguard personnel prevented people from breaking the barricades and entering the prohibited area. Unusually, the crowd this year for the Rathotsava and annual Yatra was unprecedented and not a single inch of space, other than the barricaded route of the Rathayatra, was available in the sprawling complex of temple. Braving the scorching sun and oppressive weather condition the people occupied every available space to witness the pulling of the Ratha around the complex.
Both the 8th Mahadasoha Peetathipathi of the Samasthan Poojya Dr Appaji and his son Poojya Chiranjivi Doddappa Appaji who has been coroneted as the 9th Peetathipathi presided over all the religious rituals before and after the Rathotsava.
Poojya Chiranjivi Doddappa Appaji went around the tastefully decorated Ratha and offered the poojas to the Ratha and offered the special “Naivaidya” and joined his father the 8th Mahadasoha Peetathipathi Dr Appaji at the specially erected enclosure in the Dasoha Mahamane, adjacent to the Shrine to witness the Rathotsava along with his mother Matoshri Dr Dakshayini Avvaji and sisters Kumari Komala, Kumari Bhavani and Kumari Maheshwari. Former Supreme Court Judge Mr Justice Shivaraj Patil along with Secretary of the Sharanabasaveshwar Vidya Vardak Sangha Mr Basawaraj Deshmukh and other family members were present in the special enclosure.
They jointly displayed the Prasada Battalu (Silver Plate in which Saint Sharanabasaveshwar took his food) and the Linga Sajjike (The idol of sacred linga placed in a silver casket that was worn by the saint) to the tens of thousands of devotees who had thronged the shrine complex to witness the historic moment. Poojya Dr Appaji and Chiranjeevi Doddappa Appa blew the Conch to signal the devotees to pull the Ratha. The Peetathipathi of the Samasthan formally took charge of the Peetha, which is traditionally known as Peetarohana.
The Punyathithi of the Saint is observed as auspicious day by the devotees by fasting throughout the day and perform poojas and partake specially prepared dishes including sweets after the Rathotsava. (The death is glorified and celebrated as salvation by the Lingayats and the death anniversaries of the religious heads are particularly celebrated as a festival by the devotees).
Entire Kalaburagi city wore a festive look with festoons tied all around the city and true to the traditions of Dasoha preached and practiced by Saint Sharanabasaveshwar, entire city transformed itself into a dasoha mahamane with the people putting up pandals and special stalls on all the roads leading to the Sharanabasaveshwar Shrine and offering free food and water to all the devotees coming to the shrine to offer their obeisance and witness the annual rathotsava.
The ardent devotees of the Saint Sharanabasaveshwar walk miles together from their respective villages from far off places in the neighbouring districts including Raichur, Vijayapura, Bidar, and bordering districts of Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh to fulfil their wishes and pay their obeisance to the saint who had set an example of selfless service and who was a beacon of hope and salvation for his devotees during his life time.
Traditional rituals including the offering of the specially prepared “Neivaidya” consisting of the “Huli Bana”, a special dish prepared out of the freshly harvested Jowar, which is cooked and mixed with fresh curd made out of cow’s milk and adding other ingredients. This dish which is prepared following all the religious traditions is carried over the head by a specially appointed person for the task. This person with the Hulibana over his head went around the Ratha (Car) for five times before the Ratha is drawn and after the return of the Ratha to its original place.
Prominent among others who witnessed the Rathotsava included Secretary of the Sharanabasaveshwar Vidya Vardak Sangha Mr Basavaraj Deshmukh, family members of Poojya Dr Appaji, Gulbarga MP Dr.Umesh Jadhav, Gulbarga South MLA Mr. Allamprabhu Patil, Basavakalyan MLA Mr Sharanu Salagar former MLA Dattatreya C. Patil Revoor, and others.