The newly built wooden chariot of the famous Sri Lakshmi Narsimha temple in Antarvedi in the East Godavari district has been commissioned by Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy. The new chariot will be used in the annual Rathotsavam of the Antarvedi temple on 22-23 February.
CM Jagan reached the Antarvedi fishing harbour at 11:30 am on Friday. Upon arriving, the CM was welcomed by the priests as per the temple tradition and showered with their blessings. This was followed by the CM participating in Lakshmi Narasimha Swami’s darshan, archana and mantrapushpam offerings.
The chariot, built over 60 years back, was used for special occasions and rituals at the temple. In September 2020, the chariot which had been kept under a shed went up in flames and was gutted completely. The CM responded immediately and announced that the festivities would be held with a new chariot. Within a span of three months, the chariot was rebuilt by the state government and handed over to the temple authorities.
The famous Antarvedi Lakshmi Narasimha Swami chariot was earlier designed with seven floors at a height of 40 feet. The new chariot has been built with new arrangements and includes six wheels and seven tiers made out of 1,330 cubic feet of buster teak, equipped with hydraulic brakes, and has a protective shed with iron gates. This new chariot has been built at the cost of Rs 1 crore.