page_title: Sirimanothsavam
section_title: Procession
hierarchical_section_title: Sirimanothsavam / Procession
caption_attribution_description: English: Procession of the holy Sirimanu English: Procession of the Sirimanu
context_page_description: Sirimanothsavam, is a festival organized to propitiate Goddess Pyddithallamma of Vizianagram Town. Siri means "lean and small" and manu means "trunk" or "log". The priest of the temple, while taking procession between the fort and temple three times in the evening, hangs from the tip of the long, lean wooden staff, raised high into the sky. The priest possessed by the goddess would himself tell a few days before, where this manu would be available. It is from that place only the log has to be procured. Hanging from the upper end of the staff, which is raised high into the sky, is a very risky exercise, but it is believed that the grace of the Goddess protects the priest from falling off. It is held in the month of September or October of every year. It is a great carnival attended by two to three lakhs of people from the neighboring towns and villages. The Rajas of Vizianagaram oversee the arrangements for this event. The APSRTC runs about 250 buses from different parts of the state to facilitate transport of devotees to Vizianagram to attend this festival.
context_section_description: Sirimanu Utsav is being celebrated every year on the first Tuesday following Vijayadasami. Sirimanu means a big trunk. It is believed that approximately 15 days before
  of Sirimanu Utsav, goddess Pydimamba would come in the dream of temple Pujari and tell him where the Sirimanu for that year could be found. Pujari would go in search of sirimanu and will cut the sirimanu after performing traditional puja. That sirimanu can be located anywhere. The owner must agree to cut his tree for Utsav. That tree will be shaped neatly into Sirimanu and will be placed over the chariot. This sirimanu will be brought to the Three Lanters junction around 2:00 pm. Temple Pujari will pay obeissance to the Goddess before taking his seat on the Sirimanu chariot. This sirimanu will move 3 times between Vizianagaram fort and Pydimamba temple between 3:00 pm to 4:00 pm. There will be a chariot in the shape of White elephant in front of Srimanu. The Vizianagaram Rajahs will sit in the front Tower of the fort and watch the Utsav. Pujari will be presented with new clothes by Rajas and puja is performed.
caption: Procession of the Sirimanu
exif: {}