‘Ankurarpanam’ was on Saturday observed at the temple of Lord Venkateswara here in connection with the propitious ‘Astabandhana Balalaya Maha Samprokshanam’ conducted once in every 12 years.
The processional deity of Lord Viswaksena, the commander-in-chief of the army of the Lord’s domain, was taken out in a grand procession in the temple town. And, on his way back, Lord Viswaksena “collected” ‘putta mannu’ (sacred earth) for use at the ‘yagasala’ inside the temple complex.
The priests then ceremoniously sowed the ‘navadhanyams’ in the new earthen pots filled with the sacred earth for germination.
The objective
The intention behind the ritual is to identify the gaps and cleavages, if any, (which are bound to find place with the lapse in time) inside the sanctum sanctorum or underneath the pedestal on which the main deity rests, and plug them with the time-honoured herbaceous paste that turns harder than concrete after it is allowed to dry. Similarly, the occasion is also utilised to weed out unwanted vegetation that may have grown over the ‘Anand Nilayam’, the golden canopy above the sanctum sanctorum where human intrusion of any kind is otherwise strictly prohibited.
In the morning, ‘ruthivik varanam’, a primary custom, was traditionally observed inside the temple.
All the 43 priests taking part in the ritual were allotted the positions to which they were supposed to strictly adhere to during the discharge of their religious obligations and ‘yagams’.
The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams also constructed 28 ‘homa gundams’ at the ‘yagasala’ and drafted 150 scholars for the ‘divya prabandha’ and the ‘chaturveda parayanam’.
Meanwhile, the temple town, which normally is abuzz with pilgrim activity, wore a deserted look.
