Festivals Observed in Kadapa District

Hindu Festivals :

Ugadi :

Many Hindu shops begin their official New Year on this auspicious day, instead of commencing pn Deepavali day. The merchants of Proddatur give substantial mamools in cash or clothing or fixed bonus on this occasion to their employees.

Srirama Navami :

about A decade back, Sri rama Navami was being celebrated an a very big scale at pushpagiri taluak amd Vontimitta in Siddout taluk of Kadapa district. Pusphagiri is the seat of a Brahmin religious head and over ten thousand people used to congregate there to observe the fstival and enjoy the hospitality of the mutt. It continues to be of special significance even nou thoough not on the previous scale.

Vontimitta used to attract more than five thousand people during Srirama Navami because of its association with great saint and poet Bammera Pothana who wrote in telugu ‘Bhagavatham’ which is considered a great work of philosophy for a religious minded HIndu and the greatest guide in Telugu to a sadhaka with detailed explantions of the practice of yoga at the several stages. Its language is simple but sweet, exhibiting at the same time special features of Telugu prosody. To Quote an example he has written poems without a single long vowel, sounding music and conveying clear meaning in simple style as in

Adigedanani kaduvadi janu

Adiginanthanu Maguda nunduvadini nadaudugum

Vadivadi chidimudi thadabada

Adugidu adigidathu jadima nadugidunedalan

The life of Pothana is thrilling at several stages, Lord Rama is said to have appeared before him and asked him to write Bhagavatham and the pressure from his brother-in-law Sreenatha, an outstanding figure among the Telugu poets, as well as from he ruler of the land to decide it to the King were too great to be overcome by an ordinary poet. Sraswathi, the precceding deity of learning appeared before him with tears rolling downher cheeks indicating her grief at the apperhension of HErself being sold to ‘karnata karitha keechakas’ .Pothana assured her that he would not do such a deed trishudhiya- in thought, word or deed. THe enraged King exited him but Lord Rama protected him and finally Bhagavatham was dedicated to Lord Rama under the patronage of the repentant ruler.

At one stage Pothana’s poetical faculities failed to complete a stanza of four lines he wrote the forst two. He went out to refresh himself in the open air mind. He returned home over-joyed, only to find that Lord Rama had visited his house in his guise and completed the stanza exactly at the moment when the concluding lines had struck him while he was away from home. His little daughter was fortune enough to wash the feet of Lord Rama and watch the Lord taking int place of his father , complete the stanza and go away, all the while in the form of Pothana. Pothana lost himself in devotion and joy when he realised the grace of the lord towors him.

The importence of the place suffered after the death of Sri Vavilakolanu Subbba Rao, the writer of Ramayana in Telugu. He is referred to by his admirers on retirment from the Presidency college, Madras, where he served as the head of the Telugu Department. He was of the firm opinion that Vontimitta was the scene of Bammera Pothanna’s life. Of late, opinion is swinging in favour of the other cente viz, Waranagal. This perhaps is e cause of the decrease in the congregatio at Vontimitta in Kadapa district.

Sri Krishna Jayanthi:

In Kadapa town most of the Hindu festivals were unavoidably owing to communal tension and neiter community is keen on improving them. In such a big place as Kadapa with several cultured Hindu families this improvement festival of the birthday of Lord Krishna, the giver of Bhagavadgita is confined only to certain localities.

Vinayaka chaviti :

All over the district Vinayakachaviti is celebrated with joy. On the third Vinayaka idols will be merged/dipped in canals/tanks/rivers.

Dasara:

Dasara is celebrated on a very grand scale at Proddatur, the center of the Visya community which has organised itself well. It is known as the second Mysore for Dasara celebrations and about Rs.30,000 is spent during the ten days. Over two lakhs of people are said to visit the place from far and near. Vasanthosthavam during the day and Ammavari procession during the night are attractive, with keelugurrams and dance parties. Jammalamdugu also celebrates Dasara eith more eclat than oter places.

Subramanya Shashti:

It is a domestic festival for every few families of Brahmins in the border places of Chittoor district. In the towns of Kadapa district of the borders of Chittoor district, the Tamil speaking Brahmins and the families of the Tamilnadu observe it as an important festival.

Sankranti:

In some places in rural parts paruveta is held on the third day as an entertaninment and also a trail of skill and physical strnght to catch the feelin goat or ram whose tail is cot and chilly powder applied to the wound.

Mahasivaratri :

It is of special significance at Kandimallayapalle in Badvel taluk of Kadapa diatrict, where more than ten thousand people congregate during the festival. It is here that the tomb of Veerabramham stands with that of Eswaramma, his grand-daughter in the compund adjoining his own. The tomb of his Dudekula devotee Siddaiah also is a few miles from there. Elobarate information is given in the manograph of the place, about the three great saints and devotees of Lord Siva.

Muslim Festivals

Moharram: With its popular name Peerla Panduga is commonly observed by both Hindus and Muslims in the rural parts even when the Muslim populace forms a negligible percentage of the population.
The strong communal differences prevailling in Kadapa town which had resulted in riots in the past are responsible for the non-observances of the important Hindu and Muslim festivals on the scale in which they are observed elsewhere in the neighbouring districts.

Christian Festivals

Good Friday:

In Kadapa district only a few orthodox Christians who have been Christians for some generations before observe Easte and Good Friday. THe new converts in the villages who have yet to understand the significance of the occasion are slow to recognise their importance.