Fun and frolic marked the mock hunting festival observed at the famous hill temple of Lord Venkateswara at Tirumala on Friday.
Thousands of devotees witnessed the celebrations swathed in religious ecstasy as the priests embarked on the customary mock hunt (‘Parveta utsavam) organised in connection with Kanuma festival.
The processional deity of Lord Malayappa dressed in the attires of a traditional hunter and accoutred with his celestial panchayudhas like – Gada, Kadga, Bana, Sankhu and Chakra mounted atop the golden palanquin was carried out in a grand procession to the venue – Parvet mandapam situated about two km amidst the thick Tirumala forests. After completion of the religious formalities the priests enacted the much awaited mock hunt. While the chief priest ran ahead with a spear in his hand the Lord mounted atop the golden Tiruchi ran behind him and symbolically hunted down a couple of deer tied up in the nearby bushes much to the delight of the onlookers.
Gopooja
Meanwhile the authorities also observed ‘gopooja’ both at its dairy farms in Tirumala and Tirupati.
