Gaiety, fervour mark Pushpayagam at Tirumala

Tirumala: Gaiety and religious fervour marked the divine ritual of flowers, Pushpayagam, in which the Lord is worshiped with flowers of various hues in Tirumala templeon Tuesday evening. The archakas chanting Vishnu Mantras offered varieties of flowers, to invoke the blessings of Pulludu, the chief deity of Pushpayagam, seeking His divine grace to save the entire life from all catastrophes.

Over nine tone flowers, including chamanti, mogali, kanakambaram, varieties of roses, lotuses, lilies, manusampangi, manoranjitham and leaves including maruvam, pachaku, panneraku, bilvam, etc., both traditional and ornamental flowers and leaves which were brought in a colourful procession from Garden office to the shrine were offered to the deities amidst chanting of hymns from Scriptures adding more to the spiritual ambience.

Donors who donated flowers for the ritual, Srivari Seva volunteers, TTD officials and staff came carrying the baskets of flowers, braving the rains, chanting Govinda Namas, all along the procession.

Speaking on the occasion, TTD executive officer AV Dharma Reddy said Pushpayagam ceremony is usually performed after the annual Brahmotsavams on the auspicious star Sravanam which was also happens to be the birth star of Lord Venkateswara Swamy, in the auspicious month of Karthika.

He said, as per the Scriptures, this festival is usually performed as a festival which atones for the 'sins' committed during the daily rituals either knowingly or unknowingly by the religious, non-religious, staff, officials, employees and pilgrims and also to save the Mother Earth from all natural calamities such as quakes, cyclones, epidemics and appease the Supreme Lord to save the life of humanity, flora and fauna from all the catastrophes. This festival, which was in vogue in the 15th Century was stopped later and TTD resumed Pushpayagam in the 1980s.

In connection with the annual Pushpayagam, Snapana Tirumanjanam was performed to the processional deities of Sri Malayappa Swamy, Sridevi and Bhudevi in Kalyanotsava Mandapam in Tirumala temple earlier in the day.

After the successful conduct of Pushpayagam, the TTD EO felicitated Garden department deputy director Srinivasulu in recognition of his pivotal role in the collection of huge quantities of a wide range of species of flowers for the Yagam.

TTD Trust Board members Madhusudan Yadav, Maruti Prasad, temple DyEO Ramesh Babu and other officials were also present.