People in Mancherial celebrated the Dussehra festival with great enthusiasm. The festival, especially Vijayadashami, took place on Saturday. During this occasion, the Jammi tree, which holds special importance, was worshiped by devotees. Farmers prayed to Goddess Durga, hoping for good crops in the coming season.
As part of the celebration, people exchanged Jammi Aaku (leaves from the Jammi tree) with each other and greeted each other happily. A ritual called Alai Balai was performed at the Jammi tree, and a special pooja (prayer) was offered to Goddess Durga, who is believed to appear in nine different forms during Navratri. New clothes were also offered as part of the religious customs. Devotees also carried out a procession (Shobhayatra) in honor of Goddess Durga and took a ceremonial dip.
Bellampally MLA G. Vinod held a Vahana Puja (vehicle prayer) at his camp office. Along with his wife, G. Rama, he performed a special prayer to the Jammi tree. The Durga Mata Shobhayatra officially began at the Kodanda Ram Temple. Afterward, the MLA participated in the Ram Leela program organized by the Hindu Utsava Samiti at Tilak Sports Ground. During the event, an effigy of Ravana was symbolically burned, and a large crowd gathered to witness the event.
Another local MLA, Prem Sagar Rao, took part in the Dussehra celebrations organized by the Hindu Culture and Traditional Management Committee on the banks of the Godavari River in Mancherial. The day included inspiring lectures from Vedic scholars and impressive performances by local artists.
District Collector Kumar Deepak, DCP Bhaskar, and Congress Party District President K. Surekha, along with other Congress leaders, also joined in the celebrations.
