As a part of the on-going three day annual religious fete of Pavitrotsavams, Pavitra Mala Samarpana performed in the Sri Govindaraja Swamy Temple in Tirupati on Friday. The day began with the awakening Seva of Suprabhatam followed by other temple rituals and Snapana Tirumanjanam performed with religious fervour. Later the colourful silken holy threads – Pavitra Malas were taken a procession and then decorated to the presiding deity of Lord Sri Govindaraja Swamy, processional deities and other deities of various sub-shrines in Sri GT temple premises amidst the chanting of vedic hymns by temple priests.
Religious fervour marked the Bagh Savari festival observed at the Hill shrine of Tirumala on Friday evening. This festival which would be observed on the immediate day after the conclusion of the nine-day Brahmotsavam has great significance and an interesting legend to convey the message of the bonding between a devotee and Lord. According to temple legends, Lord Venkateswara and Goddess Padmavathi in the guise of ordinary humans destroy the flower gardens grown up by Ananthalwar, an devotee of Lord who introduced Pushpa Kainkaryams in the temple, only to testify his dedicated devotion. In a bid to catch-hold of the “Divine Human Couple”, Ananthalwar succeeds in tying up Goddess to an Aswatha tree in his garden while the Lord escapes from his clutches running anti-clock wise. Later, Ananthalwar realises his mistake and carries the Goddess in a floral basket to the Srivari temple and rejoins her with the Lord. As the Lord escapes in an anti-clockwise direction, even today this festival is conducted in an anti-clock wise manner. In connection with the festival, the processional deities of Lord Malayappa Swamy and his two consorts were taken around in a procession from the main temple to the Ananthalwar gardens situated on the south-west corner of the temple complex.
The following are the photos taken during the occasion:
