‘Duryodhana Dussasana Vadha’, the mythological episode from the epic Mahabharata, being enacted on the final day of the folk festival Sri ‘Draupadi Sametha Sri Dharmaraja Swamy Vari Brahmotsavam’ in Srikalahasti town of Tirupati district on Sunday.
The slaying of the Kaurava brothers Duryodhana and Dussasana brought an end to the ‘Sri Draupadi Sametha Sri Dharmaraja Swamy Vari Brahmotsavam’ in Srikalahasti here on Sunday. Normally referred to as ‘Draupadi Tirunallu’, the folk festival is conducted in the countryside of Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, depicting the victory of good over evil.
The festival is dedicated to spreading the story of the epic ‘Mahabharata’ through folklore, where storytellers devote each day to narrate — the birth of Pandavas and Kauravas, their education, slaying of demons Hidimbasura and Bakasura, Draupadi Kalyanam, performance of Rajasuya Yagam, outraging the modesty of Draupadi in Kauravasabha, Arjuna Thapassu and so forth, before the Kauravas are slayed.
The festival began on July 12 and the slaying of the kings on Sunday marked a major ritual. Add-on rituals like ‘Vasanthotsavam’ and ‘Parveta Utsavam’ will continue till July 24.
Devotees, especially from the rural areas, make it a practice to visit Srikalahastheeswara Swamy Devasthanam during the festival and pay obeisance to Lord Shiva, as well as attend the place where the mythological episode is enacted daily during the festival. Sriikalahastheeswara Devasthanam executive officer N.V.S.N. Murthy, deputy executive officer Krishna Reddy and assistant commissioner Mallikarjuna Prasad participated in the ‘Agni Gunda Pravesam’ ritual.
