TIRUPATI: The nine-day annual Brahmotsavams of Lord Venkateswara had a colourful start on Tuesday with the ceremonious ‘Dwajarohanam’ (flag hoisting) inside the hill temple in Tirumala.
‘Dwajapatam’, the temple flag bearing the sacred imprint of Lord Garuda, was hoisted atop the ‘Dwajasthambham’ (flag post) during the pre-designated ‘Meena Lagnam’ between 5.55pm and 6.15pm amid the chanting of vedic hymns by a battery of priests.
Earlier, a series of special rituals had been held in the temple since dawn, including the Thomala seva, Ekantha Tirumanjanam, Koluvu and Panchaga Sravanam to Lord Malayappa. The processional deities of Lord Malayappa Swamy flanked by his two consorts on his either side, were taken out to the accompaniment of his Parivara devatas like Anantha, Garuda, Chakrattalwar and Lord Viswaksena and also the Dwajapatam, around the four ‘mada’ streets in a grand procession.
Later, the Kankanam Bhattacharya AR Seshachalam Deekshithulu carried out the Dwajarohanam ritual in adherence to the procedures laid down in the Agama sastras amid the chanting of vedic hymns by a large contingent of vedic pundits under the stewardship of Thiruvengada Ramanuja Pedda Jeeyar and Chinna Jeeyar.
Later in the night, the procession of Lord Malayappa on the golden ‘Pedda Sesha Vahanam’ marked the commencement of the first ‘vahana seva’ of the festival.
Adorned with dazzling ornaments, the processional deities mounted on a flower-bedecked Pedda Sesha Vahanam were taken in a procession along the four ‘mada’ streets.
The Pedda Sesha Vahanam symbolises Dhyana Bhakti and Dasya Bhakti. The mighty serpent plays a vital role in the Hindu mythology as it is on this mammoth snake that Lord Vishnu reclines while sleeping in the milky sea.
Usually, Pedda Sesha Vahanam is regarded as Adisesha, the 1000-hooded snake.
Here, in the Vahanam, this snake has seven hoods and is believed to represent the seven hills of the lord.
Adisesha dons different accessories for Lord Venkateswara, treating this as a residing place (seven hills), bed, umbrella (giving shelter with his hoods) as ornament and many more.
According to legend, mused by his service, the Lord has conferred another honour upon Him to bear the Earth upon His head and support Her great weight with stability. The grand procession of Lord Venkateswara on the first day of the Brahmotsavam thus commenced with Pedda Sesha Vahana Seva.
Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy also took part in the celestial fete at the beginning of Vahana Seva. Deputy CM Narayana Swamy, Ministers Peddireddy Ramachandra and RK Roja, TTD chairman Subba Reddy, TTD EO Dharma Reddy, MLA Bhumana Karunakar, MP Gurumurthy, Tirumala temple chief priest Venugopala Deekshithulu and others took part.
