Fervour marked the annual Anivara Asthanam festival at the temple of Lord Venkateswara on Monday.
As part of the celebrations, Asthanam was conducted to the deities of Lord Malayappa and his two consorts seated on the golden Sarva Bhoopala Vahanam facing the main deity at the ‘bangaru vakili’ followed by special rituals to the presiding and utsava deities.
In accordance with laid-down tradition, priests handed over a bunch of keys relating to the treasury and accounts to pontiffs and TTD Executive Officer A.V. Dharma Reddy which were later placed at the feet of the deity to mark the beginning of a new financial year.
Earlier, pontiffs presented six pairs of silk vastrams which were adorned to the deities.
Briefing the media, Mr. Dharma Reddy said immense importance is attached to the festival as it signifies the start of the annual accounting of the Lord’s income and expenditure for a fresh financial year. While the actual financial year has been shifted to April as per modern practice, the festival, however, continues to be held as usual.
Officials of the famed Sri Ranganatha Swamy temple of Srirangam in Tamil Nadu presented silk vastrams to the hill temple after performing special prayers at Sri Bedi Anjaneya Swamy temple and carrying them in a grand procession around the mada streets of the shrine. Tamil Nadu Endowments Secretary Manivasagam, Commissioner Muralidharan and Joint Commissioner Sivaram Kumar took part in the religious formalities.
Later in the evening, the procession of ‘Pushpa Pallaki’ marked the celebrations. The processional deities of Lord Malayappa and his consorts were carried out in a grand procession atop the flower-decked floral palanquin. Scores of devotees lined up on either side of the mada streets to have a glimpse of the divine procession which lasted for more than an hour.
Over 50 quintals of aromatic flowers went into the making of the colourful palanquin and floral experts from neighbouring States were specially commissioned for the purpose.