Adilabad: Members of the Adivasi Mesram clan women performed unique rituals while entering the Nagoba temple in the evening, the clan men performed Abhishekam to the deity of serpentine god as part of Mahapuja on Tuesday night.Members of the clan spent four nights under banyan trees after they came to Keslapur from the Indramai temple in Indravelli on January 24. They performed traditional pujas every day during their stay. The clan members took up padayatra to Godavari River from Keslapur on January 10, collected Ganga Jal from Godavari, and returned to Indramai temple. The clan women who gathered under the banyan trees near the Nagoba temple collected water in sacred earthen pots from the pond and prepared symbolic ant hills with the soil and the water on the temple premises. They carried the cow dung and puja material along with them and mixed it up with soil. Later, the women in white clothes in a group entered into Govvad, which is considered a sacred place for their stay during the Nagoba Jatara. Subsequently, Mahapuja performed and Abhishekam with the gangajal collected in Kalasham from the Godavari. A ritual called Bhetting (introducing a new daughter-in-law in traditional attire to the Mesram clan elders) is organised after Mahapuja. The clan women will get eligibility to participate in their traditional rituals only after they complete the process of Bhetting. The Nagoba Jatara will begin with the completion of Mahapuja. After the completion of Mahapuja, Mesram clan women offered pujas to the Nagoba deity. Subsequently, different rituals will follow and continue late at night. Already, Adivasis from bordering Maharashtra came to Nagoba temple and participated in the Mahapuja. Nagoba Peetadipathi Mesram Venkat Rao said they have made elaborate arrangements for the Mahapuja and Jatara as they are expecting lakhs of devotees for jatara and were taking measures for the safety and security of the devotees.
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