What is "sirimanothsavam"

SIRIMANU UTHSAVAM, (also referred to as Sirimanothsavam,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.