‘Adi Krithika’ turns more vibrant in Andhra’s Chittoor

The annual ‘Adi Krithika’ celebrations at the hilltop temple of Lord Muruga in Gudivanka in the Gudupalle mandal of the tri-state Kuppam junction on Monday attracted numerous devotees from various parts of Chittoor district and from the neighbouring Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.

With Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu representing Kuppam and returning to power after a five-year gap, a large number of party cadre and villagers from across Kuppam constituency participated in the celebrations. The APSRTC operated round-the-clock bus services from Sunday and the police deployed over 300 personnel for security.

The festival is significant as it represents the region’s blend of Telugu, Tamil and Kannada cultures. Devotees began their ascent up the hillock on Sunday evening, carrying kavadi — a wooden pole bearing offerings at both ends — and wearing traditional attire. Managed by the State Endowments department, the temple has a century-old history.

Legend has it that, during the British Raj, devotees from Karnataka, en route to the Muruga temple at Tiruttani in Tamil Nadu, were chased by a herd of wild elephants. Fleeing for their lives, they chanted Harom Hara (a salutation to Lord Subramanya Swamy, also known as Muruga in Tamil Nadu) and undertook the arduous trek up the steep hillock. Though the elephants, too, reached the hilltop, they refrained from attacking the devotees and instead raised their trunks to bless them. Lord Muruga was believed to have appeared atop the hill and requested his brother Vinayaka (symbolising elephants) to spare his devotees.

A notable element of the festival is the display of rigorous feats by devotees, including piercing their skin with sharp objects and pulling weights with hooks attached to their backs. Both men and women, along with children, tonsure their heads and sing praises of Lord Muruga. Food offerings are prepared atop the hill and presented to the Lord before being distributed among the devotees. Many of the temple’s traditions and customs mirror those observed at the Tiruttani temple.

Moreover, thousands of devotees offered prayers at the temples dedicated to Lord Muruga in Palamaner and Chittoor and also visited Tiruttani, Palani and Maruthamalai in Tamil Nadu to offer prayers to the Lord.