Religious fervour marks ‘Anivara Asthanam’ festival

Religious fervour marked the annual ‘Anivara Asthanam’ festival at Lord Venkateswara temple at Tirumala on Wednesday.

After the conclusion of pre-dawn rituals and other religious formalities, ‘asthanam’ was organised to the idols of Lord Malayappa, his divine consorts and Viswakasena at Bangaru Vakili, who were seated on a high altar facing the main idol followed by other festival-related proceedings

Later, the senior pontiff of the temple carried over half of dozen of silk ‘vastrams’ on a silver plate on his head and ceremoniously handed them over to the chief priest for adorning them to the main and utsava deities. In lieu with the centuries old practice, the authorities of famous Sri Ranganatha temple at Sri Rangam in Tamil Nadu also made the customary presentation of silk vastrams to the hill temple.

The festival was attended by the TTD Chairman B.R. Naidu, Executive Officer J. Syamala Rao, Additional EO Ch. Venkaiah Chowdary, board trustees and other officials.

Later in the evening, the procession of ‘Pushpa Pallaki’ was organised, where the utsava idols mounted atop the exquisitely decorated floral palanquin, were taken out in a grand procession encircling the sacred shrine. About 60 quintals of flowers went into the making of the palanquin.