Telangana CM to go on 5-day ritual spree, ropes in 5,000 priests | Latest News India - Hindustan Times
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Telangana CM to go on 5-day ritual spree, ropes in 5,000 priests

Hindustan Times | By, Hyderabad
Nov 26, 2015 08:28 PM IST

TRS chief, who had organised a Chandi Yagna a few years ago for the formation of Telangana state, hopes the latest event will bring good tidings to the newly created state.

It is already being billed as the mother of all yagnas: more than 5000 priests, 100 homams (sacred fires), five days of non-stop rituals accompanied by the chanting of 700 mantras 10,000 times each with scores of VIPs in attendance.

K Chandrashekar Rao with party leaders addresses the media at Telangana Bhavan in Hyderabad. (PTI photo)(PTI file photo)
K Chandrashekar Rao with party leaders addresses the media at Telangana Bhavan in Hyderabad. (PTI photo)(PTI file photo)

Arrangements are in full swing for the Ayutha Chandi Maha Yagnam to be performed by Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao from December 23 to 27.

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Known to be a strong believer in Muhurats and Vaastu with a penchant for performing rituals, KCR is leaving no stone unturned to make the mega event an unprecedented one.

The Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) chief, who had organised a Chandi Yagna a few years ago for the formation of Telangana state, hopes the latest yagna will bring good tidings to the newly created state.

To be held at his farm house in Erravalli in Medak district, invites to attend the yagna have gone out to the president, the prime minister and a host of central ministers, chief ministers and governors. Keeping aside their political differences, KCR is also going to invite his Andhra Pradesh counterpart N. Chandrababu Naidu. Vedic scholars as also seers from various ‘peethas’ are also being invited.

“Usually nobody dares to do Chandi Yagnam. More than the money, it requires tremendous organising capacity. Mobilising thousands of priests from three to four states is no easy task,” the chief minister said at a recent news conference.

He also said the yagna would cost up to Rs 3 crores, but not a penny would be spent from the state exchequer. The expenses, he said, would be borne by him and private donors, who are already busy arranging for huge quantities of coconut, betel leaves, ghee and sweets needed for the rituals.

However, the opposition in the state has criticized the chief minister for his obsession with the yagna, ignoring pressing issues like farmers’ suicides and drought confronting the state. CPI leader S Sudhakar Reddy has targeted him for spending crores on the yajna.

KCR says the criticism is unfair. “Criticism of one’s faith is not fair. I am a strong believer in god and I have been performing yagnas,” he said.

“Chandi yagna is done to overcome troubles and evil events and for victory over enemies or devils,” said Vishwanatha Gopalkrishna Sastry, a Vedic scholar, According to him, Chandi symbolises power of all Hindu deities and it helps the person performing the yagna to overcome any problem.

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