The Boat Festival (Hamsa Vahanam) - kk4

Teppotsavam or the boat festival which is celebrated on the ninth day of Navaratris during Dassera festival every year in Vijayawada, a town in the state of Andhra Pradesh , southern India, is the theme of this painting. During the boat festival, Goddess Kanaka Durga along with lord Mallikarjuna Swami sails slowly through river Krishna on her swan shaped boat – Hamsa Vahanam.

Goddess Durga comes down the hill Indrakeeladri, which is her abode, on this day to bless the sick, invalid and the old people who cannot climb the hill to worship her.

The boat’s journey through river Krishna is a breath- taking view. The swan shaped boat which is beautifully carved, painted and decorated with flowers and lights reflect the rich culture and tradition of the region. The celebrations start in the evening of the ninth day of the ten-day festival and goes on till the sunrise of the tenth day.

The boat painted is not an exact replica of the real one but is very close to it.