Away from the controversy surrounding the ghee used to make laddus distributed as offerings to the deity, the Sri Venkateswara temple in Tirupati is now preparing for Brahmotsavam, a massive nine-day festival that is expected to attract around one lakh devotees each day.
The festival is scheduled to be held from October 4 to 12, and on Tuesday, the traditional temple cleansing ritual was performed.
The ritual, known as Koil Alwar Tirumanjanam, is performed four times a year – all on Tuesdays preceding major festivals, said J Syamala Rao, executive officer of Tirumala tirupati devasthanams (TTD)Which manages the temple. These festivals are Telugu Ugadi, Anivara Asthanam, Vaikuntha Ekadasi, and Brahmotsavam.
As part of the ritual, the entire temple, idols, and puja utensils were cleaned and a special aromatic mixture called “parimalam” was smeared all along the walls, roofs, and pillars of the temple complex. The entire process took place between 6 am and 10 am.
“During this time, the main deity was covered with a white veil, and after the completion of the cleaning programme, the cover was removed. Later on, special pujas and naivedyams were offered to the deity,” Rao said.
Earlier, after allegations emerged that ghee used to make laddus at the temple were adulterated with animal fats, the TTD had conducted “purification” rituals at the tanks used to store ghee, and the storage area where other ingredients that go into preparing the laddus and other offerings are stored, as well as the kitchen, and the trays used to carry the offerings.
During Brahmotsavam, the temple administration anticipates a large number of pilgrims.
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The sacred kitchen, known as ‘potu’, where nearly 3.5 lakh ladoos are prepared daily to meet the demands of 65,000-80,000 pilgrims daily, is now gearing up to produce a minimum of 8 lakh laddus a day during Brahmotsavams as the number of pilgrims is expected to be around one lakh daily, officials said.
To prevent any untoward incidents, the TTD is working out security arrangements for hassle-free darshan. The TTD has also cancelled all special darshans from October 4-12.
“To facilitate a large number of pilgrims with comfortable and satisfactory darshan during the nine-day Brahmotsavam, the TTD has cancelled all special darshans, including those for parents with infants, senior citizens, physically differently-abled, and VIPs,” Rao said.
Temple staff were on Tuesday given training at Aswini Hospital to administer cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and handle stampede-like situations under the supervision of the medical superintendent Dr S Kusuma Kumari.
