The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Replica of temple sanctum sanctorum

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Monday, Oct 27, 2008
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Replica of temple sanctum sanctorum

Special Correspondent

— Photo: K.V. Poornachandra Kumar

Strikingly similar: A model of the sanctum sanctorum of Lord Venkateswara temple built at Alipiri in Tirupati was inaugurated on Sunday for use by Sri Venkateswara Bhakthi Channel.

TIRUPATI: Devotees of Lord Venkateswara the world over can now watch live on their televisions even the prime pre-dawn rituals performed daily inside the sanctum sanctorum of the temple of Lord Venkateswara at Tirumala. The only difference is that the sanctum sanctorum is not the original but a replica of it, fabricated on the lines of a cinema set.

The make-shift temple with striking similarities of the original interiors of the shrine is ‘set up’ at the foot of the ‘Seven Hills’ at an expenditure of Rs.4 crore by the TTD with the lofty intention of providing a chance even to those who cannot afford to witness the most sought-after sevas either due to the cost factor or due to the perennial demand for their tickets.

Daily sevas to be telecast

All the daily sevas like Suprabhatham, Thoma Seva, Archana, Koluvu and weekly sevas such as Ashtadala Pada Padmaradhana, Sahasra Kalashabhishekam, Thiruppavada, Poolangi Seva and Friday Abhishekam, which generally are not attended by the less-privileged, would now be telecast by the TTD through its in-house Sri Venkateswara Bhakthi Channel (SVBC) for their benefit.

The ‘set’ comprises the inner-most precinct of the temple starting from ‘Bangaru Vakili’ — the Golden Threshold and leads into the sanctum sanctorum where the imposing main ‘deity’ of the Lord Venkateswara exists.

The ‘main deity’ installed in the set is almost a mirror-image of the original main deity of the Lord adorning the same ornaments, of course the look-alikes, of the original stone-studded ornaments, including the most precious diamond-crown. The temple model was formally commissioned on Sunday by TTD’s Pedda Jeeyangar at a function attended among others by TTD Board Chairman D.K. Adikesavulu, Executive Officer K.V. Ramanachary and Chief Executive of the SVBC K.S. Sarma.

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