The temple of Goddess Padmavathi at Tiruchanur can now pride over having a brand new gleaming golden ‘Dhwajasthambham' which was consecrated on Friday amid spiritual fervour in the presence of thousands of devotees.
The 36-ft holy ‘flag post' replaced the one which was believed to be erected in 1836. As the ageing timber developed cracks causing concern over its safety. The TTD had used a huge teak log for the new pole, which it had procured in the past from Tanjavur and got it sized and cured as per prescriptions from the Institute of Indian Wood Science and Technology, Bangalore before installing it in the shrine at the end of a four-day-long rituals performed by vedic scholars led by Tirumalacharya.
As much as 12.140 kg of pure Aparanji (24 ct) gold worth about Rs.1.12 crore has gone into the making of the gold-coated ornamental copper coverings, which are now fastened around the huge pole and so also around the skirting ‘Bali Peetham'.
The elaborate consecration ceremony which began on Wednesday reached a grand finale on Friday when pundits performed ‘poornahuthi' in the sacrificial fire put up in the specially erected ‘yaga shala' and performed the necessary purification ceremonies to the holy pole amid chanting of hymns from the scriptures.
Talking with media persons in the shrine after the consecration, TTD'sSpecified Authority chairman J. Sathyanarayana said that the Bangalore-based institute had vouched for a pest-free longevity of the new Dhwajasthambham for the next 150 years.
Among others who participated in the ‘Samprokshanam' ceremony were Executive Officer L.V. Subramanyam, Joint E.O. N. Yuvaraj, Deputy E.O. Gopalakrishna, and Assistant E.O. Venugopal.
