The month of 'Puratasi' considered sacred for the Vaishnavite devotees, which commenced a couple of days ago, brought devotional fervour all over Chittoor on Saturday, the first Saturday of the month. The unique mix of the Telugu and Tamil populations from Chittoor to Satyavedu and Kuppam enlivened the various temples with special pujas.
Thousands of devotees thronged the temples of Lord Venkateswara at Chittoor, Kaligiri Hill, Narayanavanam near Puttur, and Betaryaswami Hill near Kuppam, offering worship to the Lord.
All through the auspicious period, with five Saturdays in series till October 18, the traditional households will prepare delicious dishes to offer to the Lord, followed by bhajans and nagara sankeerthanas with the participation of scores of troupes. The households will also exchange the dishes, and the bhajan mandalis will collect rice and other provisions from the respective localities, which in turn would be cooked at the temples and offered as “anna prasadams” to the devotees.
Highlight of the Puratasi month is that it draws multitudes of devotees from the neighboring Tamilnadu state to Tirumala temple. Thousands of devotees could be seen walking along the Bangalore and Chennai national highways round the clock to reach Tirumala, coming as far as Salem, Coimbatore, Erode and Tirunelveli.
The devotional fervor of the month will peak on Garuda Seva day of the annual brahmotsavams of Lord Venkateswara at Tirumala, with devotees from many parts of the district and neighboring states reaching the hill abode on foot, traversing long distances.
