Significance of the golden coloured Silk saree adorning Goddess Gnana Prasunamba.

There are two legends associated with this, one of which has a puranic basis. When the Devas and Asuras were fighting each other, the Asuras were having the upper hand often. Once, when the Devas won and wanted to celebrate their victory, there appeared a huge creature. Lord Indra sent Agni to find out about the creature. The creature challenged Agni to burn up a blade of grass. Agni failed. Thereupon, Vaayu (wind god) was sent. He too failed. Finally, Lord Indra himself came. But, the creature disappeared. After a while, Goddess Umadevi appeared before Lord Indhra, draped in agolden coloured silk saree. The Goddess revealed to Indra that the creature was none other than Lord Siva. The legend has it that the Goddess taught Indra the Panchaakshara Mantra at Dakshin Kailash. To reflect the episode, it has been the practice to drape the Goddess at Sri Kalahasthi with a golden coloured silk saree ever since. It is said that there exists an Indra cave and Yaksha cave in the nearby hills of Sri Kalahasthi.

There is another legend drawn from local sources. There was a time when kings ruling the region, where Sri Kalahasthi exists, had to wage battles with the Turks. Once during such a battle a king had a dream that the goddess had saved his kingdom in the battle and that the saree had been torn and tattered in the process. The Goddess appeared before him in the dream and asked the king to replace it. The next morning, the king ordered for the saree to be brought before him. And he found it torn and tattered. Immediately, the ordered for a new golden coloured silk saree to be readied. It is said that since then, every Friday, the Goddess is draped with the golden coloured silk saree.