The practice of faith in India is so complex that it brings us many delightful surprises of cross-community rituals. One such instance are the Muslims who visit the Devunkadapa temple in Andhra Pradesh’s Kadapa district.
Located 120 km from Tirupati, the temple’s presiding deity is Lord Venkateswara, whom the Muslims treat as their son-in-law.
They believe that Lord Balaji married a Muslim woman named Bibi Nancharamma, who was the daughter of a general named Malik Kafur in 1311 AD.
Watch video of devotees at the temple:
People from Ananthapur, Chittoor and other districts make the annual pilgrimage.
Hundreds of Muslims throng the temple on Ugadi day, offering prayers between 5 am and 6 pm. A typical offerering to the deity is Vepapathi, which is made of jaggery and sugarcane.
Devotees take bath, and avoid touching meat on the day of the visit.