Director General Of Police of AP Sri K.V. Rajendranath Reddy offered prayers to the Lord Venkateswara in Tirumala on Sunday morning during break darshan. On his arrival in front of Sri Vari Temple, the priests and officials welcomed the DGP. After darshan of the lord, EO Sri AV Dharma Reddy has presented Sri Vari Prasadam, Theertha Prasadams and a laminated photo of the Lord, the Veda pundits of the temple have blessed him with Vedic Hymns at Ranganayakula Mandapam.
Tirupati SP Sri Parameshwar Reddy, CVSO Sri Narasimha Kishore, Temple DyEO Sri Haridranath and others were present.
As the annual Brahmotsavams are scheduled from September 18 to 26 at Tirumala Srivari Temple, the festival of prelude, Ankurarpanam was held on Sunday evening.
As part of this, Sri Vishvaksenulavaru, who is the Commander in Chief of Srivaru, went on a procession in the four Mada streets and supervised the Brahmotsavam arrangements for the big event.
Later, special pujas were performed to Mother Earth in the Yagasala of the temple and new grains were sowed in mud pots. The sowing of seeds ceremony is the main episode in Ankurarpanam also known as Beejavapanam.
TTD Chairman Sri Bhumana Karunakara Reddy, EO Sri AV Dharma Reddy, JEO Sri Veerabrahmam, CVSO Sri Narasimha Kishore, Srivari Temple Deputy EO Sri Lokanadham and other officials participated in this religious ritual.
As the annual brahmotsavams of Tirumala are set to commence from September 18 onwards, the AP Director General of Police, Sri Rajendranath Reddy has inspected the Security arrangements in Tirumala on Saturday evening.
Top brass cops from both Police and TTD accompanied the State Police Chief in the inspection along four mada streets surrounding the temple.
The DGP viewed the Entry and Exit points at different galleries, the refilling system of devotees during Garuda Vahana Seva and also discussed about the Bundobust arrangements for the visit of the Honourable CM of AP Sri YS Jaganmohan Reddy on September 18 and 19 besides the security measures ensuring hassle-free Srivari Darshan and Vahana Darshan to the multitude of visiting pilgrims.
Later a high-level security meeting was held in Seva Sadan 2 meeting hall.
After the meeting speaking to the media he said, parking facilities for 15 thousand vehicles in Tirumala, a Geo-tagging facility for children, Focus on crowd management, traffic management, the safety of VIPs and devotees, besides behaving politely towards the devotees and ensuring them hassle-free darshan is our priority.
Security arrangements should be continuously monitored at Mada Streets, Inner Ring Road and Outer Ring Road", he maintained.
DIGs Sri Rajasekhar Babu, Sri Ravi Prakash, SPs Sri Parameshwar Reddy, Sri Tirumalesh, CVSO Sri Narasimha Kishore and other sleuths from police and TTD were present.
Providing house sites to all the TTD employees including the retired is his prime responsibility, asserted TTD Chairman Sri B Karunakara Reddy.
He held a meeting with TTD retired employees and leaders association at his residence in Padmavathipuram on Saturday evening.
On this occasion, the Chairman said that he is a person who treats every employee as his own family member. He recalled that when Dr. YS Rajasekhara Reddy was the Chief Minister, he had given house plots to the employees during his earlier stint as TTD Chairman.
He said that the subsequent Governments did not think and try to solve this problem for 15 years. "Sri Venkateswara Swamy has once again given me an opportunity and I am working wholeheartedly to provide homes to all the employees, including retired. He said that he met Chief Minister Sri YS Jaganmohan Reddy several times about this matter and first got 300 acres of land granted.
The TTD Board Chief also said that the Chief Minister has issued instructions to the District Collector to grant another 250 acres of land to give house plots to the retired employees as well.
Many leaders said that under the leadership of Sri Karunakara Reddy, they will surely get justice. They requested that the pending court case on Poor Home and Dairy Farmland should also be resolved. The Chairman said that he will help the retired employees to the extent possible to overcome the legal difficulties.
The procession of holy Darbha mat and rope used for Dhwajarohanam ceremony during Srivari Salakatla Brahmotsavam were brought to the Srivari temple in a grand procession from the TTD forest department office on Saturday by Deputy CF Sri Srinivasulu and his staff.
Later, a mat and a rope made of Darbha(holy grass) were placed on the Sesha Vahanam in the Ranganayakula Mandapam at Srivari temple. These sacred materials will be used in flag hoisting ceremony on September 18.
DARBHA MAT AND ROPE PLAY CRUCIAL ROLE
Garuda flag hoisting is done to mark the beginning of Brahmotsavam and this event is known as Dhwajarohanam.
On this occasion, the Garuda flag is hoisted on the flagpole of the temple and the three crore deities are invited to take part in the Brahmotsavam grandeur. Ritviks wrap the darbha mat with Vedic mantras around the flagpole. A rope strung with darbha is wound up to the flagpole. TTD Forest Department sweats for 10 days and nights in advance to prepare these holy materials with utmost dedication. Of the two types of Darbhas namely Shiva darbha and Vishnu darbha, Vishnu darbha is used in Tirumala.
Vishnu Darbha is specially grown in Chelluru village of Erpedu mandal. It was brought to Tirumala and dried in low sun for a week, cleaned well and made into a mat and rope. The forest department staff prepared a darbha mat 22 feet long, seven and a half feet wide and a rope over 200 feet long.
Temple Deputy EO Sri Lokanadham, VGO Sri Balireddy and others participated in this program.
TTD is organising the twin Srivari Brahmotsavam this year in the holy months of Bhadrapada (September 18-26)and Aswayuja ( October 15-23).
Ankurarpanam or Beejavapanam is a significant ritual in the Vaikhanasa Agama and is a tradition praying for success before the commencement of any major festival.
Performance of Ankurarpanam a day ahead of all festivals is an Agama standard practice followed at Tirumala and other Sri Vaishnavite temples.
This is the day of nursing the seedlings and hence on the night ahead of Brahmotsavam. Ankurarpanam ceremony is performed with Nava Dhanyas (nine cereal seeds). The purpose of this episode is to get the blessings of Swami varu along with the determination for the success of the festivities.
Ankurarpanam means sowing of seeds. Sastras prescribe doing Ankurarpana 9, 7, 5, 3 or at least one day before the festival.
EVENING RITUAL
This ritual is performed in the evenings as the dictum has its basis in astrological principles. As Chandra - the Moon God is said to be the "Sasyakaraka" - the controller of plants, the seed-sowing ceremony is performed in nights only before every festival.
Agamas also mention that the sprouts that emanate from the seeds imply the successful celebration of the fete. The signs about the sprouts have an astrological significance. These sprouts are sowed in mud vessels known as "Palikas" for performing Ankurarpanam.
The palikas are filled with mud while worshipping the Goddess Earth and with seeds and water while worshipping Moon. Seeds are sowed amidst the accompaniment of Managala vadya and the palikas were decorated by wrapping a new cloth around them and Punyahavachanam is performed.
DEITIES BLESSINGS INVOKED
Different deities including Brahma, Garuda, Sesha, Sudarsana, Vakratunda, Soma, Santa, Indra and others will be invited and chanting the respective mantras.
As part of the beautification of Tirumala, two Gardens were developed at Filter House and GNC with the help of donor Sri VV Ravikumar which were inaugurated on Friday evening by TTD Board Chief Sri Bhumana Karunakara Reddy and EO Sri AV Dharma Reddy.
Annamaiya Circle Park at Filter House is beautifully designed with colourful flowers and greeneries. A system has been set up in the fountain here to listen to Annamayya's hymns. For the development of the park Rs. 8 lakhs was spent and the donor provided Rs.30 lakhs for maintenance for five years.
Similarly, at GNC, the park has 65 high-end projected lights and a fountain named after Shanku Chakra. The donor has provided Rs.15 lakhs towards the development of this park and Rs.80 lakhs for its maintenance for 5 years.
JEO Sri Veerabraham, SE-2 Sri Jagadeeshwar Reddy, Deputy Director of Horticulture Sri Srinivasulu, Deputy CF Sri Srinivasulu, EE Sri Srihari, DE Sri Ravishankar Reddy, HO Dr Sridevi, VGO Sri Balireddy and others participated.
TTD Chairman Sri Bhumana Karunakara Reddy on Friday declared that there need not be any disappointment as TTD retired employees will also get house sites and that the Honourable CM of AP Sri YS Jaganmohan Reddy has agreed to grant additional 200 acres for the purpose.
TTD Chairman inspected the development works of Srinivasa Sethu, TTD employees Housing sites and Sri Gangamma temple and made valuable suggestions to the officials concerned.
Speaking on the occasion, he said the icon of Tirupati, ₹650 crore Srinivasa Sethu will be inaugurated by the Honourable CM of AP Sri Jaganmohan Reddy on September 18 and the unique landmark of the temple city will be open for public use from 19th onwards.
He said upon his request to grant another 200 acres for sake of retired employees, the CM had readily agreed and also directed the District Collector to begin acquisition of land for the purpose.
He said thereafter the CM will visit the Sri Tataiahgunta Gangamma temple and revive the age old tradition of Darshan Folk Goddess Gangamma ahead of Srivari Darshan.
Tirupati Mayor Dr Shirisha, TTD JEO(H&E) Smt Sada Bhargavi, Municipal Corporation Commissioner Smt Harita, TTD Chief Engineer Sri Nageswar Rao Corporation SE Sri Mohan, Afcon manager Sri Rangaswami were also present.
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