Cow worship performed at Andhra's Kanakdurga temple

Vijayawada (Andhra Pradesh) [India], January 16 : Cow worship was performed at the Kanakdurga temple on the Indrakeeladri Hill here on the third day of the harvest festival Makar Sankranti on Friday.
The temple trust chairman Somi Naidu and executive officer MV Ramesh Kumar took part in this programme.
"We performed Go Puja at 8 am. We have a separate trust for Go Puja. We are going to perform Chaturved Hawan for seven days, from 18 to 24 January. Then, on the eighth day, we will perform Purnahuti on January 25," said MV Suresh Babu, executive officer, Kanakdurga temple.
Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) has recently started a cow donation scheme and the first cow was donated to Kanakadurga temple. The TTD has suggested to all temples, which received cows from them, to perform cow pooja on Kanuma festival day. Andhra Pradesh government decided to perform Kamadhenu Pooja at 2,679 temples under the state endowments department on this Kanuma festival day. State endowments department and TTD, together, are conducting this cow worship.
The third day of the harvest festival Makar Sankranti is celebrated as Kanuma in Telugu areas. On this day, cows and oxen are worshipped as they have much importance to agrarian life. The cows are decorated with flowers, turmeric, and vermilion and prayers are offered. And then, Go Suktam from Krishna Yajurveda is recited.