Come the annual Brahmothsavams of Lord Venkateswara and a draper-cum-tailor shop located in the crammed Theerthakatta street of Tirupati gets busy as its owner and workers pour themselves over the huge and exquisite ‘pardhas’ (curtains) to be hemmed and offered to the temple of Lord Venkateswara, ahead of the annual festival.
The shop owner, Mani, has in fact been doing this service without a break for the last 14 years and offers free of cost, not one but three embellished ‘makhmal pardhas’ which are beautifully embroidered with the use of American diamonds, beads, silk laces of different hues, zari-gold border strips of different designs and what not. He also stitches and offers two ‘Kuralams’, a decorative and frilled silk cloth which can be seen hanging over the head of the main deity in the sanctum sanctorum.
Significantly, he makes these offerings four times a year synchronising with the four major festivals of the temple; the Brahmothsavams, Vaikuntha Ekadasi, Anivari Asthanam and Ugadi.
The material which goes into the making of the ‘pardhas’ and ‘kuralams’ are painstakingly procured from different towns, well ahead of each festival and delicately hemmed to give them a rich look.
Every time the centre piece of the pardhas carry the portrait of either Lord Venkateswara or his ‘Thirunamam’ or the ‘golden tower’ (Ananda Nilayam) of the temple. But this time, Mani has hemmed the unique portrait of Goddess Mahalakshmi of Kolhapur in Maharashtra and it is this pardha which would adorn the inner-most threshold which is located at ‘Kulasekharapadi’, the holy step in front of the imposing main deity.
Offers ‘pardhas’
Of the other two pardhas, one is for the decoration of the next ‘Vakili’ -- Ramulavari Meda -- and the other at the Bangaru Vakili, where the priests and pundits stand and recite the ‘Suprabhatham’, the first of the daily rituals performed in the temple.
Mani on Monday carried the ‘Pardhas and Kuralams’ round the temple and offered them to the authorities.
