Centred around the historic Sri Vasavi Kanyaka Parameswari Temple (built in 1890) and organized by the Arya Vysya Sabha, this 10-day Sharannavaratri festival features elaborate religious rituals, mystical Aghori performances, and vibrant night processions with keelugurrams (toy horses) and folk dance troupes. The grand grand finale on Vijayadashami features the massive Thotti Meravani street carnival and a spectacular local fair.
Proddatur Dasara, widely celebrated as the “Second Mysore Dasara,” is the crown jewel of cultural celebrations in the YSR Kadapa district of Andhra Pradesh. Spanning ten days during the auspicious period of Sharannavaratri, this grand festival attracts over two lakh regional and national visitors annually to this prominent commercial town. The epicentre of the festivities is the historic Sri Vasavi Kanyaka Parameswari Temple, built in 1890, where the local Arya Vysya business community spearheads elaborate daily rituals, changing the deity’s alankaram (sacred dressing) to represent different avatars of the goddess each day. The town’s atmosphere turns electric at night as massive, beautifully illuminated street processions take over the core commercial roads.