The annual Brahmotsavams at Sri Govindaraja Swamy temple began with the ‘Dhwajarohanam’ ritual on a traditional note at the temple city on Wednesday.
Priests hoisted the traditional flag, bearing the imprint of the Lord’s celestial carrier Garuda, atop the temple flag post at 9.20 a.m., the designated auspicious hours when ‘Karkataka Lagnam’ was in vogue as per the Hindu almanac. With Vedic pundits chanting hymns from the scriptures and the temple instrumentalists beating the percussion instruments in a rhythmic manner, the flag went up the pole. The priests offered ‘Camphor Harathi’ to the flag later. The event formally signalled the launch of the nine-day annual festival at the temple. The hoisting of the flag marks an invitation to the celestial beings to witness the grand gala event scheduled for the next nine days.
His Holiness Sri Pedda Jeeyar Swamy and Sri Chinna Jeeyar Swamy of Tirumala Tirupati Mutt, Deputy Executive Officer (local temples) S. Chandrasekhar Pillai, Executive Engineer Jagadeeswara Reddy and Garden superintendent P. Srinivas and devotees in large numbers took part in the programme.
In the evening, the deity was carried on ‘Pedda Sesha Vahanam’, resembling a huge seven-hooded serpent, in the four ‘Mada’ streets encircling the temple.
