Goddess Bandlamma

Goddess Bandlamma is considered to be the goddess of carts. The word bandlu means carts. According to a legend she was originally a goddess in the village of Chandaluru, Nellore District. However one day she followed some carts which were going on the road to Madras. They camped at the village of Ravuru near Ramapatnam at night. She appeared in a dream to one of the cartmen who was a native of that place and told him that she desired to change her residence and would protect them if they built a temple and worshipped her.

Bandlamma became a usual village goddess. The hook swinging ceremony is a major feature in her worship. On the last day of her worship a live goat is swung from a frame, the iron hooks are placed in the flesh of its back. The procession is lead by this cart. The goat swung from a cart appears intended for the propitiation of the goddess of the carts.

However, now this Goddess is less worshipped. The growing sentiment against such cruelties as hook-swinging might have had some influence and the coming of the railway, which put an end to extensive cart traffic might have been another cause for the neglect of worship of this Goddess.

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