TIRUMALA: Sri Sri Tridandi Ramanuja Ramachandra Jiyar of Sri Sri Bhashyakarla Siddhantha Peetham, Bhimavaram, has presented a diamond-studded golden sword – ‘surya katari’ to Lord Venkateswara on Monday night during ‘thomala’ seva in Tirumala temple. According to TTD sources, the sword, worth about Rs 75 lakh, was taken into the temple and handed over to the temple officials. Later, the priests offered the sword at the feet of the presiding deity at the time of ‘thomala’ . The mutt, with donations from its disciples, got the sword made and presented it to the lord, TTD chairman Kanumuri Bapiraju said. This is the fifth sword to be offered to God in the last 2000 years. The first one was presented by Pallava queen Samavayi in the 4th century AD, second in the 7th century and then in the 12th century (donors not known) and the fourth by King Krishnadevaraya. The king presented a sword studded with nine precious gems in the 15th century, temple sources said. The pontiff of the Bhimavaram- based mutt performed several yagnams at different places in the past.
