Nagarjuna Sagar, Aug.10 (RAHNUMA): Long before the morning sun touched the waters of the Krishna, the silence enveloping Nagarjuna Sagar was broken by the solemn chanting of Vedic hymns invoking Lord Varuna, the deity of rains and waters, for his blessings upon Telangana.
The Maha Varuna Yagam commenced at Vijay Vihar on the banks of Nagarjuna Sagar during the sacred hours of Brahma Muhurtham on Monday, with 108 Ruthviks, Vedic scholars and priests joining the day-long ritual to pray for widespread rainfall, flowing rivers, replenished reservoirs and prosperity for farmers.
Irrigation and Civil Supplies Minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy, accompanied by his wife and Kodad MLA Padmavati Uttam Kumar Reddy, participated in the early rituals as priests prepared the Yagashala for the invocation.
The ceremony began with Chaturveda Pathanam, the recitation of the four Vedas — Rigveda, Yajurveda, Samaveda and Atharvana Veda. Thirty-two Ruthviks took their designated positions around the Yagashala to perform the principal rituals, while the remaining members of the 108-member group joined in continuous Vedic chanting and japam.
The recitations were followed by Agni Pratishthapana, the ceremonial consecration of the sacred fire. Offerings were subsequently made into the Homa Kundams amid the rhythmic chanting of mantras invoking Varuna and seeking harmony between the skies, rivers, earth and humanity.
For those conducting the Yagam, its location carries a special historical resonance. Priests associated with the ceremony said the present-day Nagarjuna Sagar region, historically known as Vijayapuri, had witnessed the worship of Varuna in ancient times. They referred to an ancient image associated with Varuna, now preserved at the Nalgonda museum, as evidence of the antiquity of such worship in the region.
According to the priests, the historical connection lends an added spiritual dimension to the Maha Varuna Yagam — reviving an ancient invocation for water on the banks of the Krishna after centuries.
Among those leading and coordinating the Vedic rituals are scholars and priests associated with the Yadagirigutta Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy Devasthanam, including principal priest Acharya Venkatacharyulu, along with Naresh Sharma, Venkata Rama Sharma, Aditya Sharma and other Vedic scholars.
Through the Sankalpam, the priests are seeking widespread and evenly distributed rainfall across Telangana, besides abundant rains in the upper Krishna and Godavari catchments of Karnataka and Maharashtra to ensure sustained inflows into the State.
The prayers also seek replenishment of reservoirs and village tanks, revival of groundwater levels, protection of standing kharif crops and prosperity for the farming community.
The spiritual invocation assumes significance against the backdrop of an uneven monsoon and concerns over the rainfall outlook.
While engineers continue to monitor reservoir storages, river discharges and irrigation requirements, the Maha Varuna Yagam at Vijayapuri represents a traditional appeal to the skies for the rains that sustain the State’s rivers, agriculture and rural economy.
Maha Varuna Yagam begins at Nagarjuna Sagar with prayers for abundant rains
Nagarjuna Sagar, Aug.10 (NSS): Long before the morning sun touched the waters of the Krishna, the silence enveloping Nagarjuna Sagar was broken by the solemn chanting of Vedic hymns invoking Lord Varuna, the deity of rains and waters, for his blessings upon Telangana.
The Maha Varuna Yagam commenced at Vijay Vihar on the banks of Nagarjuna Sagar during the sacred hours of Brahma Muhurtham on Monday, with 108 Ruthviks, Vedic scholars and priests joining the day-long ritual to pray for widespread rainfall, flowing rivers, replenished reservoirs and prosperity for farmers.
Irrigation and Civil Supplies Minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy, accompanied by his wife and Kodad MLA Padmavati Uttam Kumar Reddy, participated in the early rituals as priests prepared the Yagashala for the invocation.
The ceremony began with Chaturveda Pathanam, the recitation of the four Vedas — Rigveda, Yajurveda, Samaveda and Atharvana Veda. Thirty-two Ruthviks took their designated positions around the Yagashala to perform the principal rituals, while the remaining members of the 108-member group joined in continuous Vedic chanting and japam.
The recitations were followed by Agni Pratishthapana, the ceremonial consecration of the sacred fire. Offerings were subsequently made into the Homa Kundams amid the rhythmic chanting of mantras invoking Varuna and seeking harmony between the skies, rivers, earth and humanity.
For those conducting the Yagam, its location carries a special historical resonance. Priests associated with the ceremony said the present-day Nagarjuna Sagar region, historically known as Vijayapuri, had witnessed the worship of Varuna in ancient times. They referred to an ancient image associated with Varuna, now preserved at the Nalgonda museum, as evidence of the antiquity of such worship in the region.
According to the priests, the historical connection lends an added spiritual dimension to the Maha Varuna Yagam — reviving an ancient invocation for water on the banks of the Krishna after centuries.
Among those leading and coordinating the Vedic rituals are scholars and priests associated with the Yadagirigutta Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy Devasthanam, including principal priest Acharya Venkatacharyulu, along with Naresh Sharma, Venkata Rama Sharma, Aditya Sharma and other Vedic scholars.
Through the Sankalpam, the priests are seeking widespread and evenly distributed rainfall across Telangana, besides abundant rains in the upper Krishna and Godavari catchments of Karnataka and Maharashtra to ensure sustained inflows into the State.
The prayers also seek replenishment of reservoirs and village tanks, revival of groundwater levels, protection of standing kharif crops and prosperity for the farming community.
The spiritual invocation assumes significance against the backdrop of an uneven monsoon and concerns over the rainfall outlook.
While engineers continue to monitor reservoir storages, river discharges and irrigation requirements, the Maha Varuna Yagam at Vijayapuri represents a traditional appeal to the skies for the rains that sustain the State’s rivers, agriculture and rural economy.
