The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Stage set for Brahmotsavams

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Tuesday, Sep 30, 2008
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Stage set for Brahmotsavams

G. P. Shukla

Free food and milk for infants during the festival
TTD management is expecting a heavy turnout

TIRUMALA: The hill abode of Lord Venkateswara here has been spruced up for the grand conduct of the nine-day annual Brahmotsavams to commence on October 1.

The TTD management is expecting a heavy turnout and has made elaborate arrangements to meet the requirements of the visiting pilgrims.

Hassle-free darshan

Emphasis is on providing accommodation and hassle-free darshan for the devotees, besides maintaining hygiene in the temple town.

Steps have been taken to provide free food for about one lakh devotees everyday at the massive Nitya Annadanam complex, apart from distribution of free food packets to devotees in the queue lines and milk to infants.

As a precautionary measure, ambulances equipped with para medical staff will be stationed at all corners of the mada streets through which the daily processions of the lord on different ‘vahanams’ shall be carried out twice a day during the festival period. First aid clinics have also been set up along the mada streets and on the footpath leading to Tirumala.

The open-top galleries along the made streets have been suitably barricaded and electrification for the entire town completed. To lend more colour, huge cut-outs made out of thousands of bulbs depicting images of the lord in various ‘avataras’ have been installed at all vantage points.

The TTD has dispensed with the advance reservation of cottages and guest houses during the festival period as is customary.

Accommodation will be provided to the devotees on first-come-first-serve basis. A buffer stock of over four lakh ‘laddus’ will be maintained to meet the demand for the much sought-after ‘prasadam’.

Sniffer dogs

As part of the security arrangements, nearly 3,000 police personnel are being deployed in addition to a large posse of armed reserve constables. Bomb disposal squads and sniffer dogs will also be kept as stand-by.

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Andhra Pradesh