The Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister, Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy has commissioned the Chariot (Ratham) of Sri Lakshminarasimha Swamy temple of Antarvedi today coinciding with the auspicious day of Ratha Saptami.<br />''<br />''The&nbsp; Chief Minister offered Puja and Aarti and dragged the giant forty-feet chariot to herald its commissioning. Earlier, the Chief Minister was given a traditional welcome on his arrival. He had a darshan of the main deity and participated in the puja after which he has been given Vedasirvachanam.<br />''<br />''The CM&nbsp; later&nbsp; proceeded to the&nbsp; colourfully decorated&nbsp; Ratham and offered puja and aarti. The seven-tier Chariot was commissioned with the Chief Minister along with his cabinet colleagues formally drawing it forward.<br />''<br />''The new chariot with six wheels and seven tiers was made out of 1330 cubic feet of&nbsp; teak wood and is equipped with hydraulic brakes and has a protective shed with iron gates.&nbsp; State Ministers, MPs, MLAs, and officials were present on the occasion.<br />''<span style="color: #222222;"><br />''A 60-year-old wooden Chariot of the Antarvedi temple was gutted in a mysterious fire in September last year, sparking a political and religious row which forced the state government to seek a CBI inquiry.&nbsp; The new chariot was built at a cost of Rs 1 crore after a fire gutted the previous one on September 5.&nbsp; The Chief Minister has instructed for replacement and work on the new chariot which was completed in record time ahead of the annual Kalyanotsavam.</span><br />
News On AIR | February 19, 2021 8:09 PM
Andhra Pradesh CM commissions Chariot of Sri Lakshminarasimha Swamy temple of Antarvedi