Tirumala: The temple administration on Friday came under sharp attack for organising the trial run of ‘Surya Prabha’ vahanam ahead of the ‘Rathasaptami' festival slated for February 3.
The clarification given by the authorities that the test run was part of assessing the suitability of the vahanam did not stop the senior priests of the temple from hiding their displeasure.
The priests, who wished not to be quoted fearing the authorities, termed it unfortunate to go in for a trial run ahead of every grand occasion (which they said is a new-found practice) on the pretext of testing the preparedness of wooden carriers.
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History stands testimony to the fact that the processions which form the core part of the festivities have been part of the temple tradition for several centuries. More than 450 festivals are being observed at the hill temple annually. When so, how far does the argument that the test run is being organised to ascertain the fitness quotient of the carriers hold water, they questioned?
View of retired officials
Retired officials of the temple, who concurred with the opinions expressed by the priests, recalled that the trial exercise during their time was organised only when a newly built chariot was introduced for temple use.
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Given its mammoth size and the technicalities involved like testing the alignment of wheels, axis movement, fixation of wooden poles and logs and other allied aspects the test run, which in the religious parlance is known as ‘vellavottam’, is organised on a compulsory basis and the carpenter designing the chariot played a significant role in appraising the fitness of the chariot.
We do not have any recollection of it being organised for vahanams. Citing the donation of the golden Surya Prabha vahanam by former TTD Chairman D.K. Adikesavulu Naidu during the latter years of the last decade, they said that no trial run was organised despite the fact that it was built newly and gifted to the temple.
There had been a couple incidents in the past when the large wooden logs of the carriers broke like one that happened during the procession of Sarvabhoopala vahanam at Tiruchanoor in recent times. But how far is it correct to resort to trial runs ahead of every major event, they questioned.
They pointed out that a ‘vahanam keeper’ was there to periodically take stock of the fitness of vahanams. Above him is a ‘parpathyadar’ tasked with supervision of vahanams and processions of the deity. There is nothing wrong in being cautious, but to what extent is all that matters, they said.