Sahasra Ghatabhishekam performed at Srisailam temple
The priests performed rituals for the sacred Krishna River at Pathalaganga and brought the holy river water back in ceremonial vessels
The Sahasra Ghatabhishekam ritual, aimed at propitiating deities for timely and ample rains, took place at the Sri Bhramaramba Mallikarjuna Swamy temple in Srisailam on Monday, August 10, 2026. This was the fourth day of a five-day Varuna Yagam Sahitha Sahasra Ghatabhishekam organized by the temple's Devasthanam. The event commenced with additional rituals led by officials including S S Chandrashekhara Azad, Pothugunta Ramesh Naidu, and M Srinivasa Rao.
Temple priests performed various rituals using the sacred waters of the Krishna River and the holy waters of Mallikagunda located within the temple premises. Thirty-six ritviks from different regions participated alongside the priests and Vedic scholars. The priests travelled to Pathalaganga to collect Krishna River water, carrying it back in ceremonial vessels on their heads amidst traditional music and Vedic chants.
They proceeded to the Nandi temple, then to Goddess Ankalamma and Lord Veerabhadraswamy, before finally performing the Sahasra Ghatabhishekam for Lord Mallikarjuna.
The ritual involved chanting of Rudra mantras and bathing the deity with a thousand pots of water, conducted amid the chanting of Vedic mantras. Following the Sahasra Ghatabhishekam, Mahanivedana, Neerajana, and Mantrapushpa ceremonies are planned. A temporary three-foot-high wall was erected at the entrance to the deity's sanctum sanctorum to ensure the deity remains immersed in the Ghatabhishekam waters throughout the day.
Written by urgent.news from The Hindu's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
