NEW VEHICLE: A new wooden chariot made for Lord Sri Talpagiri Ranganathaswami is ready for being unveiled.

NELLORE: Devotees, who visit Sri Talpagiri Ranganathaswami temple, have some thing new to see -- a new wooden chariot, which is made at the cost of Rs. 25 lakhs.

The 47-feet high chariot is made of 30 tonnes Maddi wood and has carvings of the mythical Dasavatharam (10 avataras or incarnations of Lord Vishnu) starting with `Matsya' and ending with `Kalki' in teak wood at its base. And the new chariot will be unveiled on February 26 at 11.30 a.m. A function has been organised to take it in a procession up to Nalgakalla mandapam.

The new chariot, which is a long-time dream of devotees, has been designed, conceived and executed by local legislator Anam Vivekananda Reddy in coordination with temple priests, Endowments Department officials, sculptors and Vedic pandits, Agama pandits in particular.

Chief Minister Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy and Endowments Minister J. C. Diwakar Reddy have taken special interest in issuing an order directing temple officials to take a loan of Rs. 25 lakhs against Fixed Deposit Receipts as a special case to take up the chariot works.

"Devotees have donated Rs. 8 lakhs to take up the chariot work while Rapur MLA Anam Ramnarayana Reddy, Sarvepalli MLA Adala Prabhakara Reddy and I have also promised to allot Rs. 5 lakhs each from our MLA funds. The rest of the money can be collected from temple revenue sources to clear the loan," the Nellore MLA told reporters on Friday.

Meanwhile, the annual Brahmotsavams festival of Sri Ranganathaswamy temple located on the banks of Penna river, will be performed with Vedic rituals in accordance with Pancharatragamam from February 26 to March 8.

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