Karthika Brhmotsavams: 9-day fete concludes with Panchami Theertham

Tirupati: The nine-day Kartika Brahmotsavams of Padmavathi Ammavaru came to an end with the conduct of Panchami Theertham in Tiruchanur on Monday.

Thousands of devotees from various places including neighbouring Tamil Nadu and Karnataka who converged for auspicious ceremony took holy bath in the Padma Pushkarini, temple tank immediately after the immersion of Chakrathalwar in the tank waters.

The Chakrasnanam was held with religious fervour as a part of Panchami Theertham festivities on the last day of Karthika Brahmotsavams of Sri Padmavathi Devi at Tiruchanoor.

Preceding the Chakrasnanam, Snapana Tirumanjanam was conducted by the priests on the banks of the Pushkarini. In the 90-minute-long ceremony, dense with devotion the Goddess and Chakrattalwar were rendered Abhishekam with milk, curd, honey, coconut water, turmeric, sandal paste and each time of Abhishekam floral garlands and ornaments made of roses, kesar, dry fruits, amla tulasi were adorned amidst chanting of mantras.

Tirupur (TN) based donors Shanmugasundaram and Bala Subramanyan contributed for the garlands.

Sri Sudarshana Chakrattalwar was rendered holy dip in the sacred waters of Padma Pushkarini at the anointed auspicious time (muhurtam) 11.40 am. The devotees who were anxiously waiting also had a holy dip.

The Goddess received Golden Pathakalu and Kaustubha Haram as gifts from Her Lord on the occasion coinciding with her birthday.

Earlier, the sacred Sare and ornaments of Srivari temple in Tirumala were brought in a procession for presenting to Ammavaru. The sari along with Parimalam (a mixture of Sri Churna, kasturi, turmeric, crystal karpooram, green leaves, sandal powder, sindhur and kichiligadda) were first paraded along the Vimana Prakara and thereafter the Lakshmi icon in Sri Venkateswara idol chest was given Tirumanjanam in Ekantham in Tirumala temple following the age old temple practice. In Tirumala, TTD chairman Y V Subba Reddy led the sare procession in the Mada streets while TTD EO A V Dharma Reddy ceremoniously handed over the sare to JEO in Tiruchanur.

TTD chairman Y V Subba Reddy lauded the efforts of TTD officials, workforce, district administration, TTD security and police, Srivari Sevaks, Scouts, and above all thanked the devotees for making the mega religious festival a huge success.

The chairman said more than a lakh had holy dip and added that anticipating huge rush, as the fete is conducted with pilgrim participation after a two years gap, TTD made elaborate arrangements that saw the Panachami theertham went of incident free. For the first time, he said TTD introduced German sheds with all basic facilities like food, water and temporary toilets for the devotees waiting for the holy dip and new system of `holding points' helped orderly movement of devotees.

TTD EO Dharma Reddy, Chandragiri legislator and board member Chevireddy Bhaskar Reddy, board members, senior officials were present.