JOIN USOf the twelve ‘Sankramanas’ in a year, this is the one that witnesses the highest turnout. Devotees were found waiting in long queue in front of the temple from 4.30 am to 6 pm.
The Ananthapadmanabha temple witnesses about 15,000-20,000 devotees during Sankramanas but the Monday’s turn out was estimated at 40,000. According to the temple management, as many as 2,500 young couples visited the temple on simha sankramana.
Besides Udupi district, couples from Sringeri, Balehonnur, Agumbe, Koppa and other places had thronged the temple. Though it was raining throughout the day, it did not dampen their spirit. The region had witnessed a dry weather for the past 10 days but rain had made an unexpected appearance on Monday.
“Recently married couples come for the Lord’s darshan. It is a tradition that a newly married woman who had been to her native place in Ashada, returns to her husband’s home in Simha masa. The husband who takes his wife back to his home on simha sankramana gets Lord’s darshan before going home,” a member of the temple’s management told Deccan Herald.
People from far away places used to come on the previous day of sankramana some years back; but now we have got good transport facilities, and the devotees visit the temple on the sankramana day itself, he said.
Banana is a favourite naivedyam for Lord Ananthapadmanabha and hence the amount of bananas brought to the temple was really big.
The temple witnessed 200 Satyanarayana poojas on Monday.
DH News Service