Sirimanothsavam

Sirimanothsavam
Sirimanu of Pydithalli Ammavaru
Official name	Sirimanothsavam
Observed by	People of Vizianagaram Devotees comes from various parts of Andhra Pradesh and Orissa
Type	Village festival
Observances	Tholellu, Sirimanothsavam, Uyyala Kambala, Pydithalli Theppotsavam on Pedda cheruvu
Date	The first Tuesday after Dussehra
2017 date	3 October 2017
Related to	P V A V S Bhanu Raja(Asst Commissioner)

Sirimanothsavam, (Telugu: సిరిమాను పండుగ, సిరి మాను ఉత్సవం) (also referred to as Sirimanu Uthsavam, Siri Manu Fete/Festival, Sirimanu Panduga) is a festival organized to propitiate Goddess Pyddithallamma of Vizianagram Town. Siri means lean and small and manu means stump or stick. The priest of the temple, while taking procession between the fort and temple three times in the evening, hangs from the tip of the long, lean wooden stick (measuring 60 feet), raised high into the sky. The priest possessed by the goddess would himself tell a few days before, where this manu is available; from there only, this has to be procured. Hanging from the upper end of the stick, which is raised high into the sky, is a very risky exercise, but the grace of the Goddess, it is believed, saves the priest from falling. It is organized in the month of September or October (Dasara) of every year. It is a stupendous event attended by two to three lakhs of people from the neighboring towns and villages. The Rajas of Vizianagaram would be overseeing this event. The APSRTC runs about 250 buses from different parts of the state to facilitate transport of devotees to Vizianagram to attend this festival.

It was during 1757, when the king Puspati Peda Vijaya Rama Raju of Vizianagaram was busy in the Battle of Bobbili, second Anand has taken the charge of crown and died in the year 1760. His wife also died along with him in Sati (practice). Then the wife of Peda Vijaya Rama Raju, Rani Chandrayamma has adopted Vijaya Rama Raju who belongs to Vizianagaram dynasty as per history.

If we go through the history of 104 temples constructed by Vizianagar Sanstan some history of those temples can be known by virtue of their location. But there is no specific history about the Sri Pydithalli Ammavaru temple constructed by this sanstan. But as per rumours or by some stories it is seen that Pydithalli Ammavaru is a Grama Devata of Vizianagaram. Some say that this Ammavaru is a sister of Maharanis of Vizianagaram. But there are many evidences that Pydithalli Ammvaru belongs to Vizianagaram dynasty. Even though there are no perfect proofs regarding birth and other details of Pydimamba, as per the peoples saying, after completion of Bobbili battle after Vijayadasimi on the next Tuesday and idol was found in the west side of Pedda Cheruvu of Vizianagaram. It is known Pyidimamaba, the village goddess of Vizianagaram.