Splendour marked the ‘Ankurarpanam’ festival observed on Friday at the famous hill temple of Lord Venkateswara. The festival is conducted as a prelude to the nine-day annual Brahmotsavams scheduled to take off to a colourful start with ‘Dwajarohanam’ on Saturday.
In this connection the idol of Viswaksena — the supreme commander of the army of Lord’s domain — was taken around the mada streets encircling the sacred shrine in a grand procession. Legends have it that Lord Viswaksena goes around the town to take stock of the arrangements being made for the mega festival. In the course of his inspections, he also collects ‘Putta mannu’ (the sacred earth) at Vasantha mandapam situated on the north-west corner of the hill temple for use at Yagasala inside the main temple complex.
‘Navadhanyams’
After the completion of the religious formalities, the priests ceremoniously sowed the ‘Navadhanyams’ for germination in the sacred earthen pots known as ‘Palikas’ inside the Yagasala followed by Asthanam to the deities at the Ranganayakula mandapam. Meanwhile, in connection with the Brahmotsavam festival the priests soon after the weekly ‘abhishekam’ adorned the main deity inside the sanctum sanctorum with antique and precious jewels like – the centuries old ‘Makara kanti’, diamond studded golden crown, ‘Kati Abhaya hastams’, ‘Karnabharanams’, ‘Nagabharanams’, ‘Surya katari and Pattu Peethambaram’ made up of more than 60 kg of gold and other ornaments whose history is in the temple legends.
