NE NEWS SERVICE
TIRUMALA, SEPT 27
The nine-day ”Adhika Masam Brahmotsavam” held once in three years concluded on Sunday with the conduct of the celestial bathing of the centuries- old idols at a makeshift tank built in the shrine of Lord Venkateswara at Tirumala.
శ్రీవారి సాలకట్ల చివరి రోజైన చక్రస్నానం శాస్త్రోక్తంగా ఈ రోజు జరిగింది. pic.twitter.com/ZyTQS0mQEK
— Y V Subba Reddy (@yvsubbareddymp) September 27, 2020
The ”Brahmotsavam” that began on September 19 was conducted amid observing COVID-19 precautionary measures without processions and devotees, a temple official said.
Marking the conclusion of the festival, the processional idols of Lord Venkateswara and consorts Padmavathi and Lakshmi, and Sri Chakram were given the bath by chanting Vedic hymns in the morning, the official said.
శ్రీవారి సాలకట్ల బ్రహ్మోత్సవాల్లో భాగంగా ఎనిమిదో రోజు శ్రీవారి ఆలయంలోని కల్యాణ మండపంలో శ్రీమలయప్పస్వామివారు కల్కి అలంకారంలో అశ్వ వాహనంపై దర్శనమిచ్చారు. pic.twitter.com/K8b2qgP0Nz
— Y V Subba Reddy (@yvsubbareddymp) September 26, 2020
The priests, after performing special pujas to the idols, took them back to the sanctum sanctorum of the ancient shrine. For the last several centuries, the high priests used to conduct the ”Chakrasnanam” in the tank close to the temple, the official said adding that tens of thousands of devotees used to take part and also take a dip at the moment of Chakrasnanam.
This time, all these customs were not followed owing to the novel coronavirus. Because of ”Adhika Masam” (an extra month which makes it 13 months this year) in the traditional Hindu Lunar calendar, two ”Brahmotsavams” of nine days each were conducted this year, he said.
No decision has been taken on the participation of devotees in the ”Navaratri Brahmotsavam” to begin on October 16, the official added.
