Ugadi 2023: At This Lord Venkateshwara Temple At Kadapa Muslims Celebrate Ugadi

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Recently at Kadapa in Andhra Pradesh, when several Muslims gathered at the Temple Of Venkateshwara in Devuni Kadapa, as the first visitors to the temple, on the day of Ugadi, no one raised their eyebrows because this has been an ongoing custom for the past 400 years. Only one priestly family has been continuing the Puja tradition of Lord Venkateshwara.

Every year, they pray here during Ugadi, and also chant "Govinda" "Govinda" along with other devotees. Many Muslim families in this city believe that the eldest child in a devotee's family must visit this temple regularly every year failing which evil will befall the family. So they see that they send their eldest children regularly to Venkateshwara temple at least once a year.

Muslim Devotees Outnumber Hindus

Not only locals, there is a larger Muslim devotee population that visits promptly to do seva to lord Venkateshwara from the neighbouring districts on the day of Ugadi as well. This temple has more Muslim devotees than Hindu devotees that visit it. Kadapa or Gadapa means "Threshold of the entrance for Lord Venkateswara Swamy," Located 120 km from Tirupati, Kadapa's presiding deity is Lord Venkateswara. This temple is known to have numerous Muslim devotees that outnumber the Hindu devotees. The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams, is the presiding custodian for this temple.

Banned Entry By Religious Leaders

Although the entry of Muslims to this temple was banned by some religious leaders a few years back, Muslims kept visiting this temple. They visit for fulfilment of their desires and divine help for wishes that range from migration to Arab countries to fixing some wedding event. This city was once up on a time known as Neknamabad.

The Legend

According to the local Muslim belief, Bibi Nachiyar amma, the daughter of General Mallikafur married Venkateshwara Swamy in 1311 AD and hence Venkateshwara is considered as the son in law to the Muslim community. So Muslims offer prayers and worship here using coconut, flowers, sweets, rice, and so on for the puja. These Muslims here abstain from non-vegetarian food, visit the temple, decorate their homes and also bring the Prasad from the temple and distribute it among themselves on Ugadi. Kadapa is a picture of communal harmony.

The head priest at Sri Lakshmi Venkateswara Swamy says that Muslims here believe that Venkateshwara is their ancestor and hence visit the temple to invite Lord Venkateshwara to celebrate the Hindu festival, at their homes. Hence the priests conduct special pujas and offer Haarathi to Muslim devotees at the temple on the Ugadi day. Muslim devotees are seen buying coconuts and other Pooja material and offering them to the temple. Some of them even pray here, break coconuts, have the teertham and donate some money.

Prasad For The Deity

According to a priest, the Muslims are blessed wholeheartedly by the Hindu priests who pray for their peace and prosperity as well. Muslims gather here in the wee hours of the morning around 3 am on the Ugadi day. If the eldest son of the Muslim family misses seeing this temple even once, a great evil is likely to befall them and hence if the visit is missed in case, they arrive here and donate rice and other items, and Vepapathi, which is made of jaggery and sugarcane which is the usual Prasad that is offered to the deity here.

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