Tirumala Temple Closed for Nearly Ten Hours During Lunar Eclipse
As part of the observance, Annaprasadam complexes and canteens in Tirumala also remained closed during the eclipse period. To ensure that devotees did not face difficulty, the TTD prepared nearly 5l,60,000 packets of pulihora and distributed them.
Tirupati: The hill shrine of Lord Venkateswara at Tirumala remained closed for nearly 10 hours on Tuesday as the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) suspended darshan in view of the lunar eclipse.
Though the eclipse occurred between 3.20 pm and 6.37 pm, the doors of Sri Venkateswara Swamy Temple were closed at 9 am, nearly six hours ahead of the celestial event, in accordance with established Agama Shastra traditions. Temple officials said the early closure was part of customary practice followed during eclipses.
Speaking to the media after the closure, TTD additional executive officer Ch. Venkaiah Chowdary said the observance of eclipse-related procedures has been a long-standing tradition at the hill shrine. He explained that after the eclipse concluded, priests carried out purification rituals, including Shuddhi and Punyahavachanam, followed by Thomala Seva, Koluvu and Panchanga Sravanam, before allowing devotees to resume darshan.
Chowdary said all pilgrims waiting in the queue lines and compartments were provided darshan before the temple doors were shut. “There was no inconvenience to devotees, and arrangements were carried out smoothly”, he said.
As part of the observance, Annaprasadam complexes and canteens in Tirumala also remained closed during the eclipse period. To ensure that devotees did not face difficulty, the TTD prepared nearly 5l,60,000 packets of pulihora and distributed them.
Other temples under the administration of the TTD also observed closure during the eclipse. These included the Sri Govindaraja Swamy Temple, Sri Kodandarama Swamy Temple, Sri Padmavathi Ammavari Temple, Sri Kalyana Venkateswara Swamy Temple and Sri Abhaya Venkateswara Swamy Temple, besides the Sri Varasiddhi Vinayaka Swamy Temple in Chittoor district.
