Anivara Asthanam Celebrated With Religious Fervour
The rituals concluded with the Rupayi Harati, after which the Lachchana was placed at the Lord's feet
TIRUPATI: The annual Anivara Asthanam, the traditional accounting festival of the Sri Venkateswara Swamy temple, was celebrated with religious fervour in Tirumala on Friday.
Observed on Karkataka Sankranti, the festival marks the ceremonial commencement of the temple's annual accounts. Though the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) now follows the April-March financial year, the centuries-old tradition continues to be observed every year.
The rituals began with the processional deity Sri Malayappa Swamy and His consorts being seated at the Ghanta Mandapam near the Bangaru Vakili inside the temple. Sri Vishwaksena, regarded as the Lord's commander, was also seated on a separate pedestal, and special rituals were performed.
Tirumala Pedda Jeeyar Swamy, Chinna Jeeyar Swamy, TTD executive officer Muddada Ravichandra and additional EO Ch. Venkaiah Chowdary participated in the ceremony. Silk garments were offered to Sri Malayappa Swamy and Sri Vishwaksena as part of the rituals.
Temple priests tied the traditional Parivattam on their heads, received dakshina from the deity and presented the ceremonial Lachchana, a traditional bunch of keys symbolising temple administration, to the Jeeyar Swamijis and the TTD executive officer. The rituals concluded with the Rupayi Harati, after which the Lachchana was placed at the Lord's feet.
Silk garments from the Sri Ranganathaswamy temple at Srirangam in Tamil Nadu were also offered to Lord Venkateswara. After special prayers at the Pedda Jeeyar Mutt near the Bedi Anjaneya Swamy temple, the garments were taken in a traditional procession to the temple led by the Jeeyar Swamijis, Tamil Nadu Endowments minister P.K. Sekar Babu, HR&CE commissioner P.N. Sridhar and other officials.
In the evening, Sri Malayappa Swamy and His consorts were taken in the Pushpa Pallaki procession along the four Mada Streets.
