The most colourful festival Pushpayagam was performed on a grand scale at Sri Venkateswara Swamy shrine here on Monday.
The TTD has cancelled Arjita Sevas including Kalyanotsavam, Brahmotsavam, Unjal Seva and Vasantotsavam for the day. The processional deity, Malayappa Swamy, and His Consorts Sridevi and Bhudevi, were brought to the Kalyanamandapam in Sampangi Prakaram where Snapana Tirumanjanam was performed.
Later, the deities were given a celestial floral bath with over eight tonnes of 18 varieties of traditional flowers including Chamanti, lily, rose, Nandivardhanam, Tulasi, Maruvam and Davanam amidst chanting of hymns.
Over 450 festivals are being performed in Tirumala hill shrine round the year. Among all rituals the most colourful ritual is Pushpayagam. This annual religious ceremony is performed in the month of Karthika after the annual Brahmotsavams.
Union railway minister Pawan Kumar Bhansal, Union minister of state for railways Kotla Suryaprakash Reddy, TTD chairman K Bapiraju, TTD EO LV Subrahmanyam, JEO KS Sreenivasa Raju, CV&SO GVG Ashok Kumar, Tirupati urban SP J Prabhakara Rao and other participated in this ritual.