TIRUPATI: As a prelude to the nine-day mega religious fete of Srivari Brahmotsavams, TTD will perform the temple cleansing ritual ‘Koil Alwar Thirumanjanam’ on Tuesday at the hill shrine of Lord Venkateswara in Tirumala.
This periodical festival is usually performed four times in a year before four important religious occasions including Ugadi, Anivara Asthanam, Vaikunta Ekadasi and the annual Brahmotsavams in Tirumala temple.
In this unique religious exercise, the main deity was protected with a water-proof roof cover and all the idols were removed from the sanctum sanctorum. The entire sanctum sanctorum was then thoroughly pumped with water and smeared with a herbal paste containing high quality sandalwood powder, refined turmeric, camphor, saffron, vermilion and other ingredients which act as disinfectants. Later the daily activities of rituals, darshan etc., will be resumed from afternoon.