Vijayawada has commenced a magnificent Harikatha festival from August 16 to 22, celebrating the 75th anniversary (Diamond Jubilee) of the idol installation of Harikatha Pitamaha Adibhatla Narayanadas at the Sivalayam Temple in Satyanarayanapuram. The idol was originally installed on January 25, 1951, by his devoted disciple Neti Lakshminarayana Bhagavatulu
Organized by the Das Sishya Prasishya Sangham in collaboration with Annamayya Parivaram, Planjery Foundation, and others, the festival features daily Harikatha performances by renowned Harikatha artistes at 9:30 am and 4:30 pm. These sessions aim to preserve the rich Harikatha storytelling tradition and engage audiences with devotional narratives. On August 20, the event honors the memory of Narayanadas’s principal disciple, the late Harikatha Kesari Neti Lakshminarayana Bhagavatar, alongside the presentation of the Neti Lakshminarayana Memorial Award to SV Sriram Bhattar Bhagavatulu India.
The grand finale on August 22 marks Narayanadas’s 161st Jayanti, when Kalla Nirmala will receive the Narayanadas Memorial Award. These festivities strengthen the bond between Telugu cultural heritage, Harikatha art, and the legacy of Harikatha Pitamaha, ensuring the tradition thrives among newer generations.
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