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Ankamma Festival
Ankamma festival is celebrated for five days in the month of Ashadha.
The deity is placed in a palanquin and taken in a procession early
in the morning. The floor is decorated with rangavali.
A heap of cooked rice is offered and a ram is sacrificed on the evening
of the following day. Ankamma on a tiger - shaped vehicle and
her sister Mahalakshmamma on a jackal - shaped vehicle are taken to
a four- shelled cart, along with a basket.
The villagers drop
neem leaves and cooked rice into the basket. A lizard, a pig,
a goat, a fowl and a human form made of flour are impaled on the spikes
of the cart. The procession goes to the temple accompanied by
the music and dance. On the fourth day devotees observe a fast
and fulfill their vows. Balls of rice flour and jaggery are
offered to Ankamma, Mahalakshmamma, poleramma and poturaj carts with
vessels of cooked rice and bengal gram are taken around the temple
and offered to the deity. A ram and a goat are sacrificed to
Ankamma, Mahalakshmamma respectively. On the fifty day, Ankamma
and Mahalakshmamma go hunting towards the north of the village on
the respective vehicles. There a ram's ear is cut and the ram
is driven to the temple. All things necessary for a feast to
Ankamma and her relatives are provided in the temple and its doors
are closed for three days. It is believed that if anyone opens
the door within these three days, his head would break into pieces.
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