A donation of Rs. 10 lakh has been offered to the Sri Balaji Vara Prasadini Scheme run under the auspices of TTD. Dr. Kodela Sivarama Krishna, Managing Director of Kiora Ifra Construction Company from Nanakramguda, Hyderabad, along with his family members, made this contribution.
The donor handed over the Demand Draft of the donation to TTD Executive Officer Sri Muddada Ravichandra on Tuesday at the EO’s Chamber in the TTD Administrative Building in Tirupati.
On this occasion, the TTD EO congratulated Dr. Kodela Sivarama Krishna for his generous contribution.
Sri Kodandarama Swamy Temple at Vontimitta in Kadapa district is well known for its wonderful stone sculptures. The carvings in this temple reflect the rich artistic style of the Vijayanagara period. The Yali pillars in the Ranga Mandapam especially attract the devotees and visitors. The way huge stone blocks were shaped into Yali pillars shows the remarkable skill of the ancient sculptors.
Yali pillars are seen in many temples built during the Rayal dynasty. However, in Vontimitta temple each pillar has a hollow space in the middle where a person can sit, which is a unique feature. The pillars in the Ranga Mandapam are beautifully carved with scenes from Puranas and attract devotees. Two pillars in particular are designed in the traditional Petrus style and stand out for their artistic beauty.
History of Vontimitta Sri Kodandarama Temple
According to legend, during the Treta Yuga, Lord Sri Rama travelled through the Dandakaranya forest along with Sita and Lakshmana. When Sita Devi felt thirsty, Lord Rama shot an arrow into the ground and a spring of water emerged. That sacred water source is believed to be the present-day Rama Theertham at Vontimitta.
It is believed that the same Lord Sri Rama, along with Sita and Lakshmana, who was worshipped by Jambavantha during the time of the Ramayana, is now worshipped in this temple. As the idols of Sita, Rama and Lakshmana are carved on a single stone, Vontimitta is also known as “Ekashila Nagaram” (City of a Single Stone).
Temple inscriptions reveal that the construction of the temple began in the 14th century and was completed by the 17th century. It was first started by Bukkaraya in 1356 and later developed by the Vijayanagara kings and Matli rulers. The sanctum, Ranga Mandapam, large courtyard and gopurams were built during this period.
A Sacred Place that Inspired Great Poets
Vontimitta has also inspired many great poets in Telugu literature. It is believed that the great poet Pothana translated the Bhagavatam into Telugu here. Ayyalaraju Tippayya dedicated Raghuveera Satakam to Lord Kodandarama of Ontimitta. Ramabhadra Kavi composed Ramabhyudayam.
Nallakalva Ayyappa became a blessed poet by the grace of Vontimitta Rama. Uppugunduru Venkata Kavi wrote Dasaratha Rama Satakam. Vavilakolanu Subba Rao, known as Andhra Valmiki, wrote the Telugu Ramayanam. Tallapaka Annamacharya also composed devotional songs praising Lord Rama.
Merged with TTD in 2015
Sri Kodandarama Swamy Temple at Vontimitta, which was earlier under the Endowments Department of the State Government, was merged with Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) on September 9, 2015. After the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh, the Sri Sita Rama Kalyanam at Vontimitta is celebrated as a State festival.
This year, TTD is making elaborate arrangements to conduct the Sri Sita Rama Kalyanam on April 1 in a grand manner.
Sri Sita Rama Kalyanam Celebrations
Every year, as part of the Sri Rama Navami Brahmotsavams, Sri Sita Rama Kalyanam is performed at Ontimitta with great devotion under the guidance of TTD following the Pancharatra Agama traditions.
On this occasion, a grand procession of the Utsava deities of Sri Sita Rama is taken from the temple to the Kalyana venue. The rituals begin with Bhagavat prayer followed by Vishvaksena Aradhana, Punyahavachanam, Raksha Bandhanam and Yajnopaveetha Dharana.
Later, rituals such as Vastram Samarpana, Madhuparkam, Maha Sankalpam and Kanyadanam are performed. This is followed by Jeelakarra Bellam, Mangalya Puja, Akshataropanam and Mala Parivarthanam. The ceremony concludes with Vedic blessings. After the Kalyanam, TTD distributes pearl Talambralu to the devotees.
TTD has once again clarified that devotees holding Slotted Sarva Darshan (SSD) tokens and Rs.300 Special Entry Darshan (SED) tickets will be permitted to enter into the darshan queue lines only at the time slot allotted to them.
This rule is being strictly implemented by TTD from Monday onwards. Devotees who arrive earlier or later than their allotted time slot will not be allowed into the queue lines.
TTD has requested all its devotees to take note of this and reach the queue lines only at their allotted time so that a smooth and convenient darshan can be facilitated to all the pilgrims.
The 47th death anniversary of eminent music and literary scholar Sri Rallapalli Ananthakrishna Sharma, who deciphered the sankirtanas of Sri Tallapaka Annamacharya from copper plates and documented them while also tuning hundreds of compositions, will be observed on Wednesday, March 11.
The programme will be jointly organised by the TTD Annamacharya Project and Hindu Dharmic Institutions.
Floral tributes will be paid to the statue of Sri Rallapalli Ananthakrishna Sharma at 9 a.m. in the premises of Sri Padmavati Women’s Degree and PG College. Later, a literary seminar will begin at 10:30 a.m. at Annamacharya Kalamandiram in Tirupati.
Sri Rallapalli Ananthakrishna Sharma was born on January 23, 1893, in Rallapalli village of Anantapur district. He served as a Telugu Professor for 38 years at Maharaja’s College in Mysuru. He also coined the name “Akashavani” for Radio. Recognising his talent, the then TTD Executive Officer Sri Chelikani Annarao entrusted him with the responsibilities of Sri Venkateswara Oriental Research Institute in 1949.
He was also assigned the task of deciphering the Annamacharya Sankirtanas discovered from the Tallapaka treasury of Tirumala temple. Besides compiling the compositions from copper plates and documenting them, he set tunes to several hundred sankirtanas. TTD appointed Sri Ananthakrishna Sharma as an Asthana Vidwan in 1979.
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