Fervour marks annual Pushpayagam in Tirumala

The annual Pushpayagam was on Thursday performed with grandeur at the temple of Lord Venkateswara in Tirumala.

In a resplendent ceremony, the processional deities of Lord Malayappa Swamy, along with His consorts Sridevi and Bhudevi, were offered a floral bath with a rich assortment of blossoms like jasmine, chrysanthemum, roses, nerium, and lotus, complemented by aromatic greens like ‘maruvam’, ‘damanam’, ‘panner’ and ‘kadambam’.

Vedic scholars chanted sacred hymns invoking the blessings of ‘Pushpadhipati Pulludu’, the Lord of Flowers, as part of the ritual sanctification.

Earlier in the day, Snapana Tirumanjanam was performed to the deities, followed by a grand procession of loads of floral baskets from the garden office to the main temple.

TTD Executive Officer Anil Kumar Singhal said the Pushpayagam, held in the auspicious month of Karthikam, coinciding with ‘Sravana nakshatram’, the birth star of Lord Venkateswara, was meant to atone for any lapses during the annual Brahmotsavams.

The ritual, which dates back to the 15th century, was revived by the TTD in 1980 after a long hiatus.

Over nine tonnes of flowers was estimated to have been used for the ceremony. In connection with the festival, the TTD cancelled certain day time ‘arjitha sevas’ performed inside the temple.