Bhajana festival returns after Covid-19
THE Andhra Maha Sabha of South Africa (AMSSA) will host their biggest International Raam Bhajana Festival since 2017 on Saturday at the Durban Exhibition Centre.
The event happens every four years but has been held off for six years because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Charmaine Chetty, the public relations officer for AMSSA, said, “Bhajana is in the bloodline of every Andhra Family, it’s like our heritage so to finally celebrate after a long time is really getting us excited.
“This prayer needs a lot of energy to perform and when we see the young children performing, it pulls at the heartstrings with pride because we know this will be carried on for generations to come.”
She said that the Raam Bhajans are a dedication to Lord Venkataswara, patron deity of the Telugu people. They were brought to South Africa by their forefathers from the villages of Andhra Pradesh.
“Our forefathers came from Visakhapatnam, Ummalada, Annakapalli and other such villages. The Raam bhajans performed in these villages were one
such festival which continues to be celebrated in their homes and temples.
“There will be two segments of the Bhajana, Hari Bhajana at 1pm, which has 12 participating temples within Durban; and Raam Bhajana, which has 16 participating groups from all over South Africa and our international participating group in both segments, is the Mauritius Telugu Maha Sabha,” said Chetty.
She said historically this event sees
about 5 000 people attending. This year it will be covered live on both Facebook and YouTube to cater to international viewers.
“Our project leader is Lenny Naidoo, the president of AMSSA. He is passionate about Bhajana and is the brains behind this project. This event is also free and everyone is invited to attend. Meals will be provided,” said Chetty.
For more information 084 582 6913.