Devotees pray to Yama for preventing accidents and early death. Want a straight ticket to ‘heaven’ after death? Just offer prayers to Lord Yama Dharmaraja (God of death) at his temple on the occasion of Yama Dwiteeya at the ancient and historic Sri Laxminarasimha Swamy Devasthanam in Dharmapuri on the shores of the Godavari in Jagtial district.
Every year, Yama Dwiteeya is celebrated on the second day after Deepavali, which is celebrated on Friday this year marking the visit of Lord Yama to his sister Yamuna Devi’s house for lunch, according to local folklore. It is believed that the people offering prayers on Yama Dwiteeya to Lord Yama and also having “Bhaginihastha” (lunch served by one’s sister) would not go to hell after death.
Following the age-old belief, several hundreds of devotees thronged the historic temple shrine to offer prayers to Lord Yama, the only temple in the country where Yama is worshipped.
People took a holy dip in Godavari and stood in serpentine queues to offer prayers. The devotees also participated in the traditional ritual of pouring oil in the “Yamaganda deepam” to get rid of sorrows, sufferings and early death and suicidal tendencies.
The temple authorities have also performed special abhishekhams to Lord Yama and special pujas as part of the rituals. The devotees also participated in the special “Ayoosha Sooktham homam” and special abhishekams for longevity and good health without any sufferings.
Temple chairman Allala Srikanth Reddy told #KhabarLive that it is an age-old belief at the temple shrine that devotees offering prayers to Lord Yama on Yama Dwiteeya would get rid of early death, accidents and suicidal tendencies. “Since ages, devotees visiting the Dharmapuri temple shrine would first offer prayers to Lord Yama before offering prayers to the presiding deity Laxminarasimha Swamy,” he said.
It is believed that Yamuna Devi had been requesting her brother Lord Yama to visit her house for lunch, but owing to his hectic schedule in hell, he was unable to accept the invitation.
However, he took time on Yama Dwiteeya, falling on the second day of Deepavali, visited his sister Yamuna Devi’s home and had sumptuous food.
Later, Lord Yama blessed his sister stating that whoever eats lunch served by his sister on this day would be blessed and would not go to hell after death.
“Accordingly, in Dharmapuri temple town majority of people would visit their sister’s house for lunch,” Reddy explained. #KhabarLive