Tirumala all decked up for annual Brahmotsavams from Friday

Scheduled from October 4 to 12, the fest involves several festivities such as 'Aalaya Suddhi', 'Dwajarohanam', 'Vahana Seva', 'Srivari Koluvu', 'Snapanam' and several others

Tirupati: The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), the official custodian of Sri Venkateswara temple here, observed Ankurarpanam in the run-up to the annual Brahmotsavams from Friday.

Ankurarpanam is an important seed swing festival and is observed on the eve of Brahmotsavams as a prelude. It involves sowing seeds at night for auspiciousness using vessels called ‘palikas’.

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“The essence of this ritual is to make a sankalpa (wish) to celebrate a festival in a successful manner and get the grace of the Mula Virat (deity),” said TTD in a press release.

Scheduled from October 4 to 12 at the holy shrine in Tirumala, Brahmostavams fest involves several festivities such as ‘Aalaya Suddhi’, ‘Dwajarohanam’, ‘Vahana Seva’, ‘Srivari Koluvu’, ‘Snapanam’ and several others.

‘Alaya Suddhi’ is the cleansing of Sri Venkateswara temple before the commencement of ‘Brahmostavams’, ‘Dwajarohanam’ involves the hoisting of flags signaling the start of Brahmostavams and Vahana Seva entails the procession of the deity around the streets of Tirumala.

The traditional temple cleansing ritual, ‘Koil Alwar Tirumanjanam’, was performed with utmost religious fervour in Tirumala temple on Tuesday. TTD executive officer J Shyamala Rao said this unique Tirumanjanam was performed in view of the annual Brahmotsavams.

Usually, it is observed four times in a year on the preceding Tuesday before Telugu Ugadi, Anivara Asthanam, annual Brahmotsavams and Vaikuntha Ekadasi festivals in Tirumala temple.

As a part of it, the entire temple, deities, puja utensils were cleansed while a special aromatic mixture called “Parimalam” was smeared on the walls, roofs and pillars of the temple complex. On Wednesday, TTD organised the celestial procession of mat and rope as part of Dwajarohanam ceremony while the hoisting of Garuda flag on the temple on the evening of October 4 marks the beginning of the nine-day Brahmotsavams.