This Rs 15,000 puja at Srikalahasti could ring your wedding bells

AMARAVATI: For those finding it difficult to get married or couples who are issueless, a new “heavenly offering“ is on its way. Soon, the

Srikalahasti

temple in

Chittoor

district of Andhra Pradesh will perform the Naga

Pratishta Puja

, which at Rs 15,000, will be the costliest in the country after the 'Vastram' Puja that is performed at Tirumala.

Located about 40 km from Tirumala, the 700-year-old Shiva temple is known nationwide for performing the Rahu-Ketu Puja and Kalasarpa Dosha (when all planets are hemmed in by Rahu and Ketu on either side in the birth chart). These two pujas are performed by those who have difficulty in getting married and also childless couples.

However, the Srikalahasti temple with an annual revenue of Rs 100 crore, which is next only to Tirumala, is to start performing the Naga Pratishta Puja, which is being recommended “for those experiencing severe negative effects of Rahu and Ketu in their lives.“

The Naga Pratishta Pujä is being offered as the best “remedy“ for those seeking marriage and children. “We took the decision to start performing the Naga Pratishta Puja in the temple premises after we found out that a few priests employed by our temple have been performing the puja outside and charging anywhere between Rs20,000 to Rs one lakh per puja,“ a priest said. Performing the puja in the temple will cost only Rs 15,000. Moreover, it will have the best results as the Shiva and Parvati located here have maximum power to control Rahu and Ketu,“ Srikalahasti temple trust chairman Guruvaiah Naidu told TOI.

Till date, Naga Pratishta Puja is performed either at residences or to the already existing snake god's idols in temples.What is unique about the puja to be offered at Srikalahasti is that for each puja, a new snake god idol will be installed, for which the priests will perform puja and abhisekham on a daily basis. Srikalahasti temple has several acres of vacant land where snake god idols can be installed, said sources. Sources said the temple will start performing the puja once the state government accords administrative sanction to it.Among the personalities who have performed the Rahu Keta Puja at Srikalahasti are PM Narendra Modi, Sachin Tendulkar, actors Pawan Kalyan and Siddharth. The latest to perform this puja was badminton player P V Sindhu, after she won the silver medal at the Rio Olympics.

There are other temples which perform the Naga Pratishta Puja, like the Kukke Sri Subramanya temple in Karnataka and the Trimbakeswar temple in Nashik, Maharashtra. “But the Naga Pratishta Puja performed at Srikalahasti would produce maximum results,“ claimed astrologer Venu, who performs this kind of puja.

According to the temple website, it was at this temple that Shiva devotee

Kannappa

plucked out one of his eyes and placed it in the eye of the Linga which was oozing with blood and tears.

Read this story in Telugu


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