Tirupati: Kanipakam temple golden chariot to be unveiled on Feb 16

Tirupati: The new golden chariot of Kanipakam Varasiddi Vinayaka Swamy devasthanam will be inaugurated on February 16. The chariot was built at a cost of around Rs 6 crore and the works were taken up by TTD following a request from the temple authorities. TTD chairman YV Subba Reddy handed over the chariot to the temple in September 2021.

The temple, which is under the state endowments department, has paid the cost of the chariot from its own treasury and the executive officer A Venkatesu told The Hans India that the final cost of it was yet to be intimated by TTD authorities. The formal rituals to the chariot before its grand inauguration will commence from February 14 and on February 16, it will be launched.

Endowments minister Vellampalli Srinivas will be the chief guest for the 'Maha Kumbhabhishekam' to be performed to the new golden chariot on February 16.

After performing Kalasa puja, homam, Maha purnahuti and other rituals, Kumbhabhishekam will be held. In the evening of the same day, Varasiddi Vinayaka Swamy along with his consorts Siddhi and Buddhi will be taken for a ride on four mada streets in the new chariot.

The famous Kanipakam temple has been attracting thousands of devotees every day from several parts of the country. Various daily rituals will be performed in the temple including daily abhishekams. Annual Brahmotsavams will be held in a grand manner for 21 days during Vinayaka Chaviti festival time.

The temple management had planned to get a golden chariot ready in 2008 itself and sought the help of TTD to build the same. The temple authorities paid Rs 1 crore on February 12, 2010 and another Rs 5 crore on October 10, 2019 to the TTD.

Meanwhile, the ongoing works to give a facelift to the temple with an estimated cost of about Rs.8.75 crore are expected to be completed by this August, said the EO. An NRI devotee belonging to Vijayawada has donated the funds and the works began on June 13, 2021.

Once these works are completed, the temple will get a spacious look and provide more convenience for the devotees in the queue lines. They can have a more pleasant darshan of the presiding deity as the sanctum sanctorum also will be expanded.