The Krishna Teja Educational Group campus in Tirupati is being tastefully spruced up for the conduct of ‘16th Sri Mahalakshmi Yagam’ from March 22 to April 4, timed to coincide with the appearance day of the Goddess.
While pontiff ‘Anantha Sree Vibhushitha’ Sri Ramachandra Ramanuja Jeeyar has conducted 15 Yagams over the last 15 years in Visakhapatnam, Vijayawada, Bhimavaram, Adilabad, Karimnagar, Mahabubnagar, Nellore etc, he has chosen the abode of Lord Venkateswara for the 16th, considered the ‘grand finale’.
About 2,000 Ritwiks (priests) from across India and Nepal are participating in the grand event, while seers and saints representing major religious bodies will share the stage.
The Jeeyar has embarked on a mammoth ‘Bhikshatana’, a walkathon across the countryside to mobilise resources for the event. While he toured 350 villages in each of the 15 Yagams conducted earlier, he is currently visiting 1008 villages, given the higher scale of operations. “A symbol of collectivism, the idea behind the ‘Bhikshatana’ is to let the masses partner in the event and get the divine blessings,” a spokesperson said.
The emergence of Goddess Lakshmi during the churning of the mythological milky ocean will be depicted at the ‘Ksheerarnava Mandapam’. The makeshift tank will be filled up with 5008 litres of milk to enact the divine spectacle in the early hours of April 3. As a prelude, a grand procession ‘Sobha Yatra’ will be taken out from the SVIMS to Indira Maidan on March 22, in which 1,600 artistes from 16 States will perform with music bands.
‘Archana’ will be performed to the deity with one crore Kumkuma, Tulasi and jasmine flowers.
Apart from global peace and common good, dedicated individual-oriented (desire-fulfilling) ‘Havans’ will be performed for child-bearing, profitable businesses, marriage settlement etc. A total of 1,008 kg of pearls are to be used as ‘Thalambralu’ in the Kalyanotsavam (celestial wedding) to be performed on the final day.
Details at www.16srimahalakshmiyagam.org, 98665 76459, 98665 76359.
2,000 priests from India and Nepal to take part in the event to be conducted from March 22 to April 4
